The Hope of My Hope
by Krosabear
Summary: Payson needed hope, and only Sasha could provide it. Yet, Sasha was afraid of what the world might think. It took the support of his sister and the love of a woman to face his biggest fears, helping them face their own. New character.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I do not own Make it Or Break it. I do not know Romanian, so please forgive bad grammar on that front. I am not a Gymnast, so the Gymnastics will be minimal. I do have an outline, so hopefully this will be under the "complete" category soon...**_

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Chapter one.

Payson and Sasha were having an intimate conversation about the embarrassing kiss that they had accidentally shared the night before. Payson didn't really want to talk about it, but Sasha insisted that the needed to get it behind them, especially after he flinched.

A pretty ashen-blonde woman about twenty-seven was rounding the corner just in time to hear, "…if his name was Nicolette, I probably would have tried to kiss him too." The girl bit her lip, not knowing how to react or what to do. Does she spirit away because they had not yet seen her, or does she make her presence known. It was only a millisecond before her foot made the decision for her as a branch snapped.

"What is this talk about kissing my father?" She laughed awkwardly. She did not think that sneaking up on Sasha and one of his gymnasts would entitle accidentally hearing a private conversation.

Payson's face drained as she whipped her head around and gazed at the woman wide-eyed. The woman just stood there, again not sure what to do. Sasha let out a long, dark sigh before he turned and smiled, "What brings you to Boulder, Ana?"

She paused, searching for the words in English while monitoring the young girl's reactions. The young girl before her was gorgeous in every way. She was a bit curvier than normal for a gymnast, with bright blue-grey eyes and long golden-blonde hair. She was beautiful. Sasha must have noticed the puzzled look on Ana's face and the fear on Payson's. He gently took Payson by the hand, preventing her from running.

"I…Uh...am on sabbatical." Ana stated dumbly, knowing that that explained nothing. Then she whispered, "I am so sorry I intruded on such a deeply private conversation. I didn't know. I was just excited to see you." Payson flinched as Ana spoke, not yet registering who was talking to them. Sasha cleared his throat, knowing that he would have some damage control with both girls later.

When Payson finally spoke, it was barely a confused whisper, "But aren't you Ana Kreanga? Why did you say Nicholai is your father?" Ana stifled a giggle as Payson questioned her.

Ana was about to answer when Sasha broke in, "Yes, she is. I think we need to have a long discussion about this tonight. I'm going to ask your mom if I can take you to dinner with Ana. In the meantime, I am sorry I flinched; I will not let it happen again. Now, let's go back to practice." Then he turned on Ana, "You will be eating with us tonight, cerb mici." It was not a question, nor a request. It was a demand. Ana nodded quickly before turning on her heel.

"I'll be around. You have my number?" She called over her shoulder. Sasha replied that he did while Payson burst into tears. Part of Payson wondered what Sasha had called the woman, but she was more concerned with the embarrassment she felt.

"Now someone else knows how stupid I am!" She cried. Ana heard it, but chose to keep on walking. She got the gist of what happened. The girl kissed Sasha. Sasha was doing damage control. She ruined it. A tear fell down her cheek; she decided to find an ice cream parlor. She was supposed to be looking for an apartment, but ice cream was a better plan.

Sasha got up, racking his hand through his locks of blonde hair. Then he sat back down, taking Payson's hand again, "I promise you, she won't breathe a word of this to a soul. Ana is a good person and she's European. Kissing is a normal greeting. She…it…everything is going to work out, Payson. I promise."

Payson nodded, feeling stupid but knowing that if she didn't get into the gym, the foreign beauty would be the least of her worries. They got up together, walking toward the gym. Payson cleaned her face as much as possible before getting close. Sasha assured her she looked fine before abandoning her to find Kim.

As he walked, he watched Payson carefully. She was acting very cold now, but her friends did not seem to care. He sighed as he stood next to Kim, who was in the office watching her daughter anxiously. "You were gone for a long time."

Sasha checked his watch, "Just ten minutes. We weren't done talking though. I was wondering if I could take Payson to dinner this evening. It is a long story, but we wouldn't be going alone. A friend accidentally walked into a very bad part of the conversation Payson and I were having and I am afraid I have a lot of explaining to do." Sasha spoke slowly, but urgently. Kim smiled and agreed.

"I'll pick her up at seven then. I will introduce you to the other person when we get there. So, you should expect me at six-thirty." Sasha sighed before returning to the floor, taking time to text Ana her instructions.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Make It Or Break It.**

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Payson was sick to her stomach as she changed into the very conservative blue dress that her mother had suggested for the dinner. She could hear that Sasha and Ana were sitting in the living room. Ana was speaking to her mother while Becca was obviously entertaining Sasha. She knew she was moving very slowly and there for being extremely rude.

She sighed, then she walked slowly down the hall to the living room. Sasha walked up to her and offered her his arm quickly, not allowing her to see the girl sitting on the couch. "We need to have a quick talk." Payson gulped. "It is okay, Payson. Neither of us is going to bite."

They stepped into the kitchen where Sasha explained, "I do not know why Ana is here Payson, but she feels awful that she walked in on such a private conversation. She has been living in Spain for five years now and is on sabbatical for six months, here. I'll let her explain, but know she is a friend, Payson. Be open with her, she might be able to help."

Payson nodded and they walked back into the living room. "Shall we?" Sasha asked, offering the lady his arm, Payson still on the other.

Ana smiled dimly and then looped her arm in his. "Thank you for your hospitality," Ana smiled, her voice soft and the thick accent of the morning almost non-existent.

The car ride was silent as they drove to a Greek restaurant. Payson, who was sitting in the back, saw Ana smirk at Sasha who grinned. They were speaking softly in Romanian and Payson was getting annoyed. Something she didn't really want to name was welling up in her stomach. They got out. Sasha walked into the restaurant quickly to ask for a table and leaving the two girls alone.

"Payson," Ana breathed as she touched the younger girl's hand, "I want to be your friend in this. I am going to need you to trust me." Her voice was soft, sincere. Payson allowed the girl to lead her by hand toward the restaurant.

"This way," the waitress said much too chipper for the situation. She led them to a very private table, rolling her eyes as Sasha helped both of the ladies into their seats. "Can I get you any drinks? Sample of the house wine, perhaps?"

"No, we are all just having water." Sasha said sternly, eyeing Ana. She nodded her consent. The waitress placed the water and then left.

"Now, Ana, why are you here?" Sasha breathed, easing into this conversation. Payson turned toward the lady, interested.

Ana sighed softly, looking at Sasha. "All of the details of my past, like a biography for her?" Sasha nodded with a grim look, mouthing something which made Ana's jaw drop.

"Payson, dragă, this is going to be hard. Please listen to me carefully." Ana begged. Payson nodded. Ana's use of English was getting stronger he more she spoke, her accent was sweeter.

She sighed again. "Obviously you are aware I was the gymnast who would do duets with your coach, you knew my name. I was an artistic power gymnast, just like Sasha is trying to get you to be. My father is Nicholai the great. I didn't know that until I was on deaths door when I was twenty years old. You seen, I was abandoned at Sasha's family's door when I was just a few days old by my dying mother. I suppose abandoned is too harsh. She died a few days later, Sasha's mother took care of me. I was raised as a Belov, but with my mother's maiden name. I am a year younger than Sasha.

"When I was twenty years old and at trials, I fainted mid-air during our floor duet and crashed to the floor before Sasha could catch me. I broke my arm and was rushed to the hospital where they discovered I had leukemia. I was a junior in college, at the chagrin of my coach, and I was an Olympian gold hopeful, I had medaled one gold and one silver in the Olympic cycle before. I needed a Marrow transplant. Nicholai tried to donate, but couldn't because we were not a match, yet we discovered that he was my father. He was competing in Nationals when I was born. I was born of a prostitute, by the way. The reunion between me and Nicholai as my father was not pleasant, not in the least.

"I did as much school as I could in between appointments and bouts in the hospital. Plenty of people tried to donate marrow, but they weren't matches. I was hard to match. I graduated with a Bachelor's of Science with honors and Sasha had his third and last Olympian cycle. He busted his knee goofing off at the after party. Because he no longer could do gymnastics as a career, he donated Marrow and saved my life. I wouldn't let him think about it before because it would inhibit his gymnastic ability. He was my match." With this Ana grinned and looked at Sasha with admiration, saying, "Multumesc, fratele meu." Sasha grinned and shrugged. Payson felt a pang of jealousy. She didn't know what Ana said, but she didn't like how those sweet words swirled from Ana's perfect mouth.

"I went to Spain for Graduate School and got a job as a Botanist and a Mycologist, gaining a PhD and two post-doctoral certificates. I am still working for the company, but I am on sabbatical trying to decide if I want to work in the American Research hub here in Colorado. I want to be closer to my family. Ever since I supported Sasha and not Dmitri, I have not been his favorite daughter. When he became a widower, he stopped talking to me all together. Nicholai has never really spoken to me.

"Anyways, that's why I am in Boulder, to check out the research hub just outside of Denver, about twenty minutes from here. I got in at about ten-thirty this morning, an hour before our unfortunately awkward meeting. I had also imagined meeting you at the Olympics, Payson. Oh, I am still in remission, by the way." Ana finishes with a nod. Payson looked at her for a long time, taking in her features. The girl was tall for a gymnast, slender and athletic looking. She had some curves, but not extreme. In many ways, this girl could be one of her teammates. She looked very young for having a doctorate degree. She had ashen-blonde hair, like Sasha. Mysterious blue-grey-green eyes were just the icing on the cake of her perfect features. She had dark circles under her eyes, probably because she just got here this morning from Spain.

"How did you know who I was?" Payson finally stuttered as she heard Sasha order their food. With the story, she forgot they were in a restaurant.

"Sasha…" The girl whined and then snapped at him in Romanian. Turning to her, Ana answered Payson sweetly, "I know you for the same reason you recognized me. Once a gymnast, always a gymnast, Payson. You have talent and when Sasha said he was your new coach, I couldn't wait to meet you."

"Now onto what you blindly waltzed into this morning, Ana. Payson, do you want to explain or shall I?" Sasha said it kindly, but Payson blushed and became angry at him.

"I think I get the picture, actually. I just don't know the details, but I can imagine. Can you just fill me in?" Ana sighed, but with a smile.

Silence.

Sasha cleared his throat, obviously annoyed that the teenaged beauty wasn't going to answer. He turned, "Payson had a break through with her Gymnastics last night and in her excitement, she kissed me. I pushed her away, as is appropriate. She ran. This morning, when working with her, I was going to adjust her, but I flinched. I really upset her. You walked into a strange part of that conversation." Ana giggled at that, nodding at the memory.

"A very strange part," Ana mused softly and then added, "I thought so."

She paused, turned on Sasha and gave him a knowing smile saying, "It must have been hard to push away such a beautiful young lady. If I were in your place, I would've deepened the kiss."

Payson allowed her jaw to drop and both she and Sasha blushed. Then he snapped, "Are you sure you are heterosexual?"

Ana laughed a little too loudly, "Yes! That's something I left out. I am a widow, Sasha." Her voice quivered at the end.

The food arrived then and Sasha touched Ana's hand lightly with a very sad smile.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Payson was at the gym at five in the morning. She saw that the lights were on, so she carefully snuck in. She heard faint music playing and laughter.

"So, when did you start training again, Ana? You can't just pick up talent like this over night." A soft voice smiled.

"Well, Sasha, I never really quit gymnastics. This feels so good, so right…" Her voice was breathless and playful.

Payson peered through the door just to see Sasha lift up Ana and spin. She gasped, but then noticed that she recognized what they were doing. It was the duet that Ana had talked about. It was gorgeous and sensual, Payson gulped and tears stung her eyes, but she couldn't move. She cried out a little when Sasha placed a chaste kiss on Ana's cheek once the routine was over. It was loud enough for Ana to her it, she wiped her head over and peered at Payson. Sasha looked also. Payson ran.

"Shit. You love her too!" Ana hissed as Sasha dropped her to run after Payson. Payson stopped mid-step when she heard that and suddenly she had two strong arms around her waist towing her toward the parking lot. Payson pretended to try to resist, but in reality she felt save with those arms wrapped around her.

A gruff voice shouted, "Ana, write a note and call parents. The Rock is closed today." Ana shouted something back in Romanian and then her voice got very sexy. Sasha groaned, his face becoming very dark. Payson did not like the sound that the other girl's voice had made, it sounded too seductive. They were supposed to be siblings, but they were acting like secret lovers. It was breaking her heart to realize that Sasha wasn't hers, he could very well be romantically involved with someone like Ana. So, Payson decided to fight against his grip for real.

Payson was kicking against Sasha's grip, but Sasha didn't care. He kept towing her toward the Airstream, thanking his lucky stars that it was still dark out. With one quick move, he had opened the door to the Airstream and tossed Payson on the couch. Payson quickly righted herself, debating whether or not she should tell him that technically speaking he just broke the law and committed a felony by "kidnapping" her. That would surely just make him angry, so she decided to try a different approach.

"What did she say?" Payson demanded when Sasha shut the door to the Airstream. Sasha debated answering, then sighed while coming to sit down next to her. Tears were still threatening to make their presence known, but had not attempted to. She had regained control of her body.

"She said that she'd handle practice and that I should kiss you all the day long. Roughly translated, of course." Payson blushed when she realized that she had misjudged the situation, again. Sasha seemed conflicted, but not angry. Payson thought about what Ana had said last night, she pretty much chided Sasha for denying his feelings.

Pulling her out of her wandering thoughts, Sasha continued, "She's surprisingly okay with a twenty-nine year old hooking up with a sixteen year old. Too bad Colorado didn't have the same ideas that Ana does. She said to be careful, not to cross that line, and waiting two years might be a good idea, yesterday. Such a supportive sister, that one." Sasha groaned again. He was muttering to himself, not looking at Payson.

Ana was supportive of a potential relationship, but was obviously teasing Sasha when she said to have an all-day make out session. After all, she was an intelligent person, she knew the consequences of such actions. That made sense then why she said such devious things in Romanian. Sasha didn't know how to handle this situation, so he asked his sister. His sister must have told him that age was just a number or something cliche.

"Do you really…love me?" Payson ventured after several seconds.

Sasha didn't move, his sad silent sigh answered all of the questions. He looked defeated. In many ways he was. He loved this little girl, but their relationship was one of athlete and coach, it could not be more as of yet. Besides, a pursued relationship was illicit. He really did not want to break the law and the trust of her parents because he couldn't seem to keep his damn hands to himself. He did not want to take advantage of Payson, nor put her in a compromising position. He wanted to handle this appropriately, responsibly. If, in four or five years, when Payson had experienced life, she still wanted him, he would allow a relationship to develop. Right now, however, he just couldn't. He just...

Payson crept up and kissed him softly. She smiled against his lips when he didn't push her away but took his sister's advice and deepened the kiss. He allowed Payson to know that he loved her too as he wrapped his arms around her again. This kiss was slow, sensual, and controlled from one side: Sasha. In fact, the kiss was too controlled for Payson's tastes, but it was a kiss nonetheless.

After a few moments, Sasha gently pulled away from Payson and whispered, "How could I not?" He sighed, adding, "But we cannot do this, Payson."

Tears welled in both their eyes. Payson nestled into his side, feeling safe. Payson knew they shouldn't be kissing or pursuing any sort of relationship, but she wanted to so badly.

"Do you love her?" Payson asked, in a small voice. She knew it was ridiculous, but she was still jealous of Ana.

"Not like I love you, Payson," he said as he kissed the tip of her nose.

Hearing this was like giving her permission to try again. This time the kiss was searing. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling her closer to his well-toned body. He had one hand against the small of her back, doing the same as it slowly moved up and down her back. The other hand was twisted up into her hair.

After a few moments he seemed to wake up, this time he pulled away more gruffly, but smiled sadly. "Payson," he started, "we really cannot do this..."

Then he added, "She really is my sister. I grew up with her. I only think of her like my sister. Now, someone needs to go train and I need to have a chat with my sister."


	4. Chapter 4

Two hours later, when it was seven, Sasha and Payson finally emerged from the Airstream. They had stayed, talking and holding hands after the second kiss. Sasha refused to kiss her again, saying that it was inappropriate and that he loved her too much to risk this. He also said they could love each other and be in love without being physical. Payson tried to protest, but Sasha's arguments were solid. He said that if, in a few years, she still love him, he would marry her if that made her happy. Payson looked a little more excited than she probably should at that declaration of love. Although it wasn't the expected reaction, instantly Sasha knew that he shouldn't have said it. After all, the last thing he needed was his top and favorite gymnast who had just recovered from surgery to be too busy planning a wedding to train. He inwardly cursed himself, before placing a chaste kiss on her forehead and ordering her back to the gym.

When they got into the gym, Ana had the elite girls doing some difficult conditioning. She smiled as Payson joined the lot. She was lightly talking to Kim and Mr. Tanner as the girls worked out.

"Oh, here Sasha is. I told you he'd be here in a minute, Mr. Tanner. He'll give you a proper introduction. Payson and Sasha were working on her dance elements in the annex and I said I would set up...you know how they get." Ana smiled, adding, "Lauren, you're cheating! It should hurt. Emily, breath, it shouldn't hurt that much. Good job, Payson and Kaylie. Sasha, what is my power to artist ratio?" She finished turning slightly, eyeing her brother. She raised her eyebrow, as if to tell him to answer her or suffer the consequences.

"Three to one, well kind of." He admitted, motioning to Payson. Ana just nodded, jotting that down on the note pad she had in her hands.

Sasha knew that Ana was disappointed, she was an artistic gymnast who liked adding power moves. Not a power gymnast who had to learn to be artistic. She was what Nicholai and Dmitri wanted her to be. She was talented and beautiful, sensual and powerful, small and intimidating. Ana held the belief that every girl should do the same in some form. Sasha had tried that, but these girls were too far gone. Payson was suffering. He knew she'd try harder, and probably succeed. That was the one thing about Americans that Ana hated and Sasha knew it. They were too stubborn to understand that gymnastics was about beauty as well as power. Sasha shuddered at the whining that was going to come as Ana started implementing her grand schemes to get everyone to balance beauty with strength. No one was going to like it.

Normally an American power gymnast never changes to artistry, which is what he was forcing poor Payson to do. They get used to one style and are not able to bounce back and forth. Sasha knew that she was going to try to get the girls to strike a balance, a type of yin and yang between artistry and power.

"Alright girls, enough of that nasty conditioning. Kaylie go to floor, Emily take the vault. Lauren to beam and Payson, please go on to bars. Make sure that you practice both artistry and power ladies. Show the judges that you are feminine, but strong!" Ana barked out orders, sending the girls to their most comfortable apparatuses. She wrote several more notes to herself before glancing up at her brother with a sly smile, mouthing something in Romanian that caused Sasha to roll his eyes and set them on Payson.

Payson knew that Ana was a tough coach because she had been a tough athlete, even if she only spent minimum time at the gym. From stories, each of the girls knew that Ana Kreanga was a ballerina and a gymnast. They also knew that she had a black belt in karate. She was used to discipline and structure, although slight in appearance. Some of them were more excited to train with her than others.

If the stories were true, Ana had spent a mere three hours in the gym everyday. She didn't need to spend any more. She spent the vast majority of her time reading or studying. After all, everyone knew that she graduated with her first college degree at the age of twenty-two. She had to have been an Olympic contender and in college at the same time before her unfortunate change in luck. There was some video proof that Nicholai and Dmitri were not fans of Ana's chosen schedule as they screamed at her in Romanian when she messed up a tumbling pass in her floor routine when she was sixteen. She merely looked at them with her cold eyes before tossing her head. Ana was dangerously in control of her emotions and her decisions. Her decision to make them all artistic power gymnast would end in them conceding or her dying.

After watching the girls for several moments, Ana turned back to Mr. Tanner, raising her eye brows toward Sasha who instantly understood her meaning, "Ahem, Steve, this is my sister, Ana Kreanga. She is here trying to decide if she wants to transfer to the research hub in Denver. She is a biologist, well a mycologist...whatever that means." He paused, grinning at his teasing, "She is also an Olympian for Gymnastics, very famous. I think she plans on hanging out here and helping train the girls for Worlds. She is very good, as you yourself can see. Ruthless, even." The girls all agreed internally, this lady was crazier about the sport than Sasha!

Pleased with the quick introduction, Ana nodded her head and smiled. Kim nodded encouragingly, but Sasha eyed Mr. Tanner as he processed the information.

"Well then, Ms. Kreanga, I am pleased to meet you and welcome to Boulder. Are you certified with the National Committee?" Steve asked, wryly. Ana narrowed her eyes. Obviously Mr. Steven Tanner was the troubled parent who though he could rule the world. Ana placed a star next to Lauren's name. To anyone else, it would seem like a good thing, but to Ana it was the mark of death. Stars equaled "brat" in her mind and she was sure that Lauren was a brat. After all, she had the nerve to question her authority earlier and now her father was acting as if he owned the place because he was president of the parent's board. That attitude was going to die very quickly if Ana had anything to do with it. She glanced at Sasha, who looked peeved.

"I am for the Spanish Nation, but not here. I will submit my paperwork tomorrow, if that will make you more comfortable. My background check is underway." That was true, she submitted her background check yesterday for both the Research hub and the Rock, knowing that if she got the job, she'd help Sasha. Steve just nodded and then retreated to the parents viewing arena.

Then, as if to rub it in his face, Ana added, "I am certified for the International Gymnastics Cooperation. I have also served as a gymnastic judge for the Olympics. So, well, Mr. Tanner, I'm qualified to coach a few _national_ contenders." She said the last few words very precisely, as if the elite girls were beneath her.

Although she thought they had Olympian potential, they were not there yet. All of them, save Payson, were very disposable to her yet. They just weren't passionate enough about the sport. Even with her lack of gym time, Ana was more passionate than Kaylie, Emily, and Lauren combined. She was more talented too. In fact, the Spanish national team was better prepared for the Olympics mentally and emotionally than these girls. Payson had definite potential, plus Sasha would kill her if he saw the triangle marking beside her name - the marking she placed beside disposable athletes.

"Oh…" Steve Tanner was barely audible. He then retreated to the parent viewing area at a faster pace.

Payson felt a pang of admiration for the girl who had just confidently stood her ground, nodding as she heard Sasha say, "My god, you are the strongest person I know!"

The rest of practice went very well for Ana as she ordered the girls around. Sasha seemed to be having a hard time keeping his "head in the game." He pulled Ana aside to speak with her privately during lunch about her findings and her obnoxious statement early that morning, but ended up talking to Kim instead. After practice was over, they told the girls to have a good evening, do well in school, and be back at seven in the morning, ready for more conditioning. Ana and Sasha agreed, they needed a bit more.


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you want me to do?" hissed Sasha as he spoke to Ana. Ana flinched, she was only teasing when she said those things this morning. Today had been little less than a disaster for Sasha to be honest and Ana knew why. When he pulled her aside that morning she could tell he kissed her. Now, he wanted to leave because he couldn't control himself. He had intended to ask Ana to coach until a proper coach could be found. Ana snapped at him saying that it wasn't fair to anyone if he left now. To give it until after world trials and then by all means, he could leave.

"I want you to be the professional I know you are. Seriously, Sasha! Up until two days ago you were perfectly okay with being a professional. The thought of kissing Payson or doing anything inappropriate never crossed your mind." Ana had hot, angry tears flowing freely down her face. She then added, deathly angry, "Don't you dare think about leaving her when she's broken. Don't you dare think about leaving me when I am broken. You're needed here."

"Ana, I broke her trust. I violated her!" Sasha said, helplessly.

Ana scoffed and raised her eyebrows, "Since when is a simple chaste kiss or three violating her? If we were in Europe, it would be natural. Expected!" As if to prove her point, she chastely kissed the corner of his mouth.

Then as if to concede, Sasha gave her the same type of kiss back before sighing, "The third kiss was not nearly that innocent, Ana. I betrayed her trust and I broke my number one rule: don't get involved emotionally."

"That's stupid, Sasha, and you know it. You were like puddy in that little girl's hands since you started coaching here. Hell, she's the very reason you started coaching here. You've loved her since she was fourteen years old. You've been in love with her for six months. Wait two years for the Olympics and then the two of you are free from your professional relationship. Wait a month and a year, and the State of Colorado and her parents can't do a damn thing. Think Sasha, you're not a teenaged kid anymore, two years is no time at all. Don't ruin it because you are a scared puppy." Ana was angry, but mostly she was concerned.

In all honesty, she hated that Sasha loved his little gymnast, but he did. She had to be supportive of him. Something in her forced her to be. Yes, she shouldn't have said those things, but he was an adult and could handle some teasing. That was her way of warning him and he knew it.

They were both tired and Sasha was getting ridiculous. He racked his brain for a good response, but came up empty. He sighed in defeat as she stepped away, her eyes were soft and understanding.

"Don't do anything you'll regret, Sasha. Get her onto the World's team. Give her the hope she cannot give herself." Ana's soft eyes gleamed in the faint light. Her voice was suddenly tender and sweet. She added, lightly, "I'm exhausted. Can I stay here tonight?"

"Desigur, sora mea draga,"Sasha said, lightly while adding, "Noapte bună, fetiţa." He showed her his bed, turning to sleep on the couch, if it could actually be called that.

"Noapte bună, frate," Ana whispered back, as she climbed into the uncomfortable bed.

Ana woke up to the sound of sizzling bacon and whispered talking. She knew the voice, it was Payson...at four-thirty in the morning. Ana groaned, it was worse than she thought. They were madly in love, but had to keep it quiet. Unless they both grew up and matured from the naïve Romeo and Juliet thing they had going, they were going to be caught in a month. Then Sasha would leave, Payson would lose her spark, and Ana would be helpless to fix it. She was not sure how to handle the star crossed lovers, but she knew she needed to. Payson was only sixteen and still a baby in many ways. Then again, Ana felt like a hypocrit thinking those things because by Payson's age, she was engaged to be married to a man who was four years older than Sasha was now. It would be an arranged marriage through her birth mother's family ties.

"Yes, Payson, she's still asleep though. Not everyone is up at four-thirty like you are." Sasha's voice was soft and gentle. Ana briefly wondered why the girl was here so early, Sasha's voice pulled her from the dark places her mind had wandered.

Deciding to let them know she was awake, Ana sang out "Bună dimineaţa, Sasha şi Payson." She then stretched her tired muscles and ducked out of the bed area of the Airstream. She forced herself to smile brightly.

"Good morning, prostie fata." Sasha smirked back. Payson added, "Did you sleep well? Do you want to join us for breakfast and a run?"

Ana considered the offer for a few moments. She did, plus she wanted to keep an eye on Sasha. She was afraid they would all wake up one morning and he would be half way to Romania. Yet, she was so tired. She still had jet lag and all she really wanted to do was cry. Sasha was always so drama-free and she was "mourning" the loss of her husband. They hadn't really talked about it yet, but she was afraid she was going to have to.

"Yes, I'll join you. If you promise to have mercy on the vechi de capră I am." She said. Sasha stifled a laugh and then looked at her critically. He knew she had picked her words very carefully. Ana was very good at picking her words.

"If you are an old goat, what am I? An ancient fossil?" He laughed. Payson looked confused, but then understanding dawned on her face. They were not only practical siblings, they were very good friends. Also, they were being subtle in their warning of the age difference.

"Neither of you is that old, now stop it." She said, grabbing a piece of bacon and ducking out of the airstream.

"We have a problem, vechi de capră." Sasha whispered. Ana's looked confused and then he added, "The tape from the training cam is missing." Ana's eyes got wide. She had already seen the incident, but it did that matter all that much. That tape could cause a lot of scandal and embarrassment for both her brother and the young girl he was in love with.

"Does she know?" Ana gasped.

"Da, dragă." Sasha said with a sad nod, "she is the one who told me. Now, let's get this run over with so you can go back to bed. You're exhausted. You can sleep in the office while Payson and I finish her routine. I don't want you leaving me alone with her for proprieties sake over the next few days."

Ana muttered something about propriety being the least of her concerns. She admitted to Sasha last night that she was weary of the relationship with Payson, but would be willing to call her sister someday. That is after berating him for fifteen minutes about even contemplating putting such an outlandish thought into a little girl's head and even thinking it himself. She pointed out that she might find another man, making Sasha shudder as he nodded.

The three of them took a run and were back at the rock by six. The rest of the young ladies and gentlemen would be there in an hour. Now, they were going to go into the Gym for the purpose of personal training. During a small break in the run for Ana's sake, it was decided that Payson and Sasha would only work one-on-one when no one else was around except Ana and Kim, if she happened to be there. In the meantime, Ana would coach Payson while peers were around. Also, Ana would always be at least physically present during the practices.

"Is there any way we can do the duet again in the near future with the training cam?" Ana said hopefully. Part of her wanted to see it, the other part of her wanted to snitch to see it and mention it on accident, thus revealing the thief. She knew it was a farfetched, but that's what she did best. She hadn't done it in years and both she and Sasha were very rusty, but she knew that it still looked good from yesterday. She wanted to perform it for the gymnasts.

"You should right now and then you, Sasha, and I can train together. That won't look too suspicious." Payson smiled brightly at her suggestion.

"I don't have a leo, Payson. Plus, I don't Sasha is ready to pick me up again. I am a fat cow compared to last time." Ana

"Fat cow? You? Ana, you're easily only one hundred and twenty pounds! I was actually going to talk to you about being five-foot-seven and so thin." Sasha snapped. It was true; she was only one hundred and twenty-five pounds. Yet, she was within her target weight range.

"You can borrow a leo from me, Ana. I have a few spares in my locker…are you really five-foot-seven?" Payson gasped. She didn't realize that Ana was so much taller than she was.

"Da, dragă and thank you." Ana said, smiling.

"That means, 'yes, sweetheart' essentially…" Sasha translated, regretting translating the last word because he had been calling Payson that since they started working together. From the look in her eyes, she realized that.


	6. Chapter 6

"Again." Sasha said. Payson was working on beam while Ana and Sasha were working on their duet that they once had perfected. Payson watched from the corner of her eye. They looked so graceful, the routine was near perfect again. Payson felt a pang of jealousy. Neither of the two gymnasts floating on the floor had practiced this in years and she doubted that Ana had been practicing much at all. After all, a fall from gymnastics is what told her she was ill.

Supposedly, she had never given up gymnastics completely, but at the same time, Ana was like twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Payson realized that she _did _view Ana as old and out-of-shape for gymnastics, although she was very slender and able to keep up with Sasha and Payson during the run. If Ana was old, so was Sasha. Sasha was older than Ana by a year. That thought made Payson falter and even fall off the beam. Sasha wasn't old!

"Again, Payson." Sasha shouted, obviously paying attention to her as well as the graceful ballerina he held above his head. Her extensions were flawless. Payson shook off the odd feeling of realizing Sasha's age and jealousy took over its place.

"Don't drop me!" Ana shirked as Sasha tossed her carelessly, pulling Payson out of her jealousy. She scoffed, Sasha would never drop her. Sasha was too good of a gymnast, too good of a coach to ever come close to dropping his sister or anyone for that matter.

Kim, who had arrived about thirty minutes ago for work, came out to watch. Obviously, although Ana and Sasha looked seasoned, Ana was terrified. Sasha caught her, laughing, with her body only six inches from the floor.

"Never." Sasha whispered in her ear as he laid a sweet, chaste kiss on her cheek, marking the end of the duet for the third time. Kim shook her head at the show and then walked to the office, smiling. The kiss was a little longer than normal by a few milliseconds and then they heard a crash. Summer had arrived, gasping at the sight. She had dropped her coffee. Watching the look on Summer's face and then noticing the still-going kiss, Payson fell off the beam for the second time, but this time the sound could be heard audibly. Her laughter was soft, but present.

Summer and Sasha were on-again off-again dating while Summer tried to figure out who she liked more: Sasha or Steve Tanner. Sasha didn't really think that their relationship was going to last, so he hadn't asked Summer out on a date in a few weeks. Plus, who needed that kind of distraction with Worlds coming up? If the gymnasts were not allowed to date so close to Worlds, neither would he. Besides, the object of his affections was always around. Ana turned her head away from Sasha, taking in the scene. On one side was a giggling blonde with a pained look on her face laying next to the beam, on the other was an angry blonde with coffee spilled all over the place.

Then Sasha did the unthinkable, he dropped the girl in his hands. She fell, glaring at him mockingly as she picked herself up. While Sasha flew to help Payson up and Ana waltzed over to Summer with a poker face but a with devious thoughts. Sasha cringed at what she was planning, but had the blonde who was still moaning on the floor to worry about.

"Hello, I'm Ana, Sasha's sister. Let me help you clean yourself up, what ever did cause you to spill your coffee? You are?" Ana said in a particularly thick accent, Payson looked in her general direction quizzically. Sasha cringed again. Her accent had been soft and hardly noticeable since her first meeting. She led Summer toward the Locker Room.

"Payson, iubito, are you alright?" His words slipped out before he realized what he was saying. He secretly thanked the god he did not know that no one besides Ana knew Romanian, but he was sure that Payson had a relatively fair idea what the word meant. If she didn't, she was certain to catch on eventually with Ana consistently chattering in Romanian and English interchangeably. Surprisingly, he noted, she hadn't spoken much Spanish since her arrival. She cursed once or twice in Spanish when she fell flat on her back during her first attempt on vault the other morning, but beyond that it had been English and Romanian.

"I'm okay, Sasha. I was just trying not to laugh when I fell and it knocked the wind right out of me." Payson breathed, cringing as she tried to sit up. Once she sat up and stretched her core, she breathed a sigh of relief. Sasha gently helped her to sit more comfortably, wondering what on earth Ana could be up to. He felt her devious aura as she walked toward Summer, but at the moment he really didn't care.

"Where does it hurt, dragă?" Sasha sighed as he gently picked Payson up.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she replied, "My back, but don't tell my mom. Just help me get over there and I'll rest. I promise, I'll rest." Sasha checked over his shoulder to make sure no one noticed him and he walked, Payson cradled in his arms, to the med room. As he walked he whispered sweet things in Romanian and English to her that made her smile. Kissing the tip of her nose lightly, he set her down on the bed and turned to get her an ice pack.

"So, Payson, what were you laughing at?" Sasha asked casually, inwardly cursing himself for being so weak. How could he have allowed himself to kiss her, again! He held the ice pack to her back, subconsciously tracing soft, soothing circles on her back with his available hand.

"Summer's face while you and Ana were pretending to wait before saluting the invisible judges. It looked like she thought you were cheating on her in front of her. I'm a little worried about what Ana is going to do. I may have mentioned Summer to her." Payson admitted, shaking her head. Ana was angry at Summer when Payson told her that the girl was double dipping so obviously and using her faith as a medium. Then she added quickly, "Are you coming to church with Ana and I tomorrow? Ana says we should be in for a treat, not that I know how going to a Catholic Mass and the idea of treat can go together…"

"Yes, she breeched me with the topic last night before our fight. I can only guess she has already gained permission from your mother. Ana is part of a traditional circle of Catholics. Her Mass is more mature and sophisticated than the Mass we all grew up with. It is very lovely, actually, like what Bach and Mozart wrote for. I forgot you are Catholic. I'm sure your parents love it when I call Sunday-morning practices." Sasha said, not even caring that he admitted to fighting with his sister.

"You fought?" Payson looked puzzled and then guessed perfectly, "over what she said to you in Romanian before you took me to the Airstream yesterday morning?"

"That and other things, nothing for you to worry about. Feeling better?" Sasha asked, picking her up and placing her on her feet. Payson stretched and nodded. Then she placed a sweet, chaste kiss on his cheek before walking out of the med room. Sasha's hand shot up to his tingling cheek. Oi, this girl was going to bring about his death.

"Oh my god, Payson, are you okay?" Lauren almost screamed as she rushed to her friend's side. Her concern was written across her face very clearly.

"Yes, I fell off the beam. Summer walked in on…something she misinterpreted between Sasha and Ana. Her face was priceless." Sasha laughed as Payson carefully chose her words. He walked out with her and told her to take it easy today, no re-breaking backs or something to that effect. She wasn't paying attention and his voice seemed distant. He then walked to the office.

"What did she misinterpret? Will she finally give up on dating Sasha?" Lauren whispered, conspiratorially as she and Payson stretched out.

"They were working on something that they are planning on showing us on Friday. They honestly looked intimate. And yes, I hope so. Sasha and Summer just don't jive. I don't know what they see in each other." Payson whispered, fighting to keep emotion out of her voice. She knew exactly what Summer saw in Sasha, it was what Sasha saw in Summer that she didn't understand.

"Well, Summer and Sasha just aren't right for each other." Lauren declared, pleased with Payson's vague report.

* * *

"Seriously, I grew up in the same home with him. I promise we are brother and sister." Ana laughed as Summer narrowed her eyes. Summer and Ana were sitting on a bench in the Locker Room, trying to remove the coffee from her shirt.

"The look on his face and the kiss tell a different tale and in front of children. What a bad influence you both are especially when you both hold the no dating rule!" Summer chided.

"Firstly, only Payson was in the room. She is a young lady with a good head on her shoulders and hardly a child. Secondly, we are European and siblings. Incest is not appealing to either of us. Thirdly, I am pretty sure the "no dating rule" applies to gymnasts, not coaches." Ana's voice got deadly low, almost threatening. She then tossed her head, stood up and stalked off to find Sasha, leaving Summer with a shell-shocked face.

By the time Ana saw him, Sasha was working one-on-one with Emily, but stealing quick and worried glances at Payson. Payson was only doing very basic conditioning moves. Ana looked at her brother, gained his attention and then nodded toward Payson. He mouthed the words 'she hurt her back.' Ana nodded and floated over to Payson.

"Hey, girlie, aren't you supposed to be resting?" Ana said with a playing accusatory tone. Payson narrowed her eyes at Sasha, trying to figure out when he told Ana. "Sasha and I have telepathy, Payson. I saw you fall off the beam too, you know."

Payson had stopped working and was eyeing Ana cautiously, weighing if the words were true. She didn't think that as a Catholic or a Scientist, Ana would believe that telepathy even existed. Ana had a mischievous smile lacing her face. Payson knew that they worked very closely together as gymnasts when they were younger and that they had grown up as siblings. In fact, Sasha had once admitted to her that Ana was his favorite sibling, without admitting of whom he spoke. Although they were not necessarily very close now, after years of being apart, they both had a special place for the other.

"Why were you and Sasha fighting last night? He said you fought." Payson pried. Ana smiled sadly, nodding.

"Yes, that is not exactly what I wanted to do last night. I wanted to talk to him about my husband. I'm very distraught...about that situation. Last night's conversation made that worse. In fact, he is in trouble right now. I need to discuss this with him at length." Ana admitted, not answering the question, adding, "You need to sit for at least an hour before you are allowed to practice. Get your bag, we'll get everyone breakfast. I'll go get permission from your momma." Payson sulked off obediently.

Sasha looked puzzled as Kim nodded her head in the secret conversation between her and Ana. He had hoped Ana would convince Payson not to practice for a while. Ana knew that Sasha was worried over what she could be planning, the so-called telepathy definitely went one way. She winked at him as he watched Payson walk out of the Locker Room in her street clothes.

"Ready to go, Payson?" Ana sang out.

"I suppose, but I should be practicing." Payson grumbled, making Sasha smirk.

"I don't know what you two are doing, but I just want you to know that you'll both be making up for this later." Sasha winked back at Ana, ending with, "Although, you know what they say, Payson, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Payson scoffed, "Jack was obviously not a gymnast." Then Ana and Payson began to walk out of the gym, leaving the rest of the Elites to train.

Ana was humming lightly and Payson noticed she had an amazing tonal quality to her voice, but decided not to allow the gymnast-who-never-practiced-but-always-medaled-turned-well-published-and-respected-biologist to get a big head. After all, there had to be something Ana wasn't good at. Right?

Instead of getting in a car and driving to a food place, Ana got out her cell phone and looked up an Italian Restaurant. Seeing they were open, she dialed the number and held the phone to her ear while she and Payson continued walking toward the corner market.

"Hello, I was wondering if you sold zeppole?" She waited to hear the reply. Payson did not know what zeppole was, but she marveled at how quickly her friend's accent adapted to the Italian. "Fantastic! I would like to order thirty of them with cannoli crème and chocolate for pick up in about forty-minutes. Is that going to work?" She waited again and Payson paled, they had crème and chocolate in them. The gymnasts are not supposed to eat pastries and definitely not chocolate. "Alrighty then, the order is under the name Ana Kreanga and I will be paying in cash. Thank you!"

"Well, let's get some fruit from the market and then we'll pick up the zeppole. You guys are going to love them!" Ana said as they crossed the road, approaching the little corner market.

"Will Sasha let us eat them?" Payson asked incredulously, knowing very well that he would not. Ana had started picking out the finest apples, pears, plums, bananas, mangos, and grapes as she motioned for Payson to find good berries.

"He'd better or he is a hypocrite." Ana smiled. She was planning the fruit salad she was making. During the course of her conversation with Kim, she had requested that Kim find paper products and get milk and juice for drinks. Payson was very quiet as she considered that statement, Sasha a hypocrite? They finished shopping in silence, Ana grabbing a basket and some wine to purchase with all the fruit. Payson wondered if Ana was planning on drinking in the morning, surly not! But, she was European... They loaded the fruit into the basket and then Ana put her wine in her purse. Ana carried the heavy basket, not letting Payson strain her back.

"What do you mean, hypocrite?" Payson asked in a small voice as they walked down the street toward the Italian place Ana had called. Ana was humming again with a smile on her face. Payson guessed she was enjoying the crisp air and warm sunshine. Frankly speaking, the walk was nice and her back was beginning to feel much better.

"We went to a meet when I was fourteen in Rome. During the weekend, we snuck off to Naples and got zeppole. They were delicious. We were sanctioned harshly when we got back for sneaking off. Mother thought we had found Italian lovers and were eloping. Mothers are so odd. Nicholai and Dmitri were more practical, but so angry. You would be too if your prized female and male gymnasts at the young, tender ages of fourteen and fifteen disappeared in a foreign country. We didn't even know Italian back then! Ever since then, if I am with Sasha and near an Italian Restaurant, we always eat zeppola." Ana smiled at the memory, adding, "He'll let the gymnast eat then this once." Payson nodded. She then became thoughtful. Ana paid for the zeppole and then they hurried back to the Rock.

Upon arrival, Sasha gave Ana a knowing grin as he told the gymnasts that this was the only sweet thing they were allowed to eat for an entire month. They ate their brunch with enthusiasm. Sasha smiled lovingly at Payson and Ana as they served the food. Kim was playing hostess, serving drinks. After they ate and did minor conditioning to avoid kids getting sick, the rest of practice went without incident. Payson and Ana worked together, perfecting the balance of power and artistry in her beam routine. They also worked on bars and vault, leaving floor for Sasha.


	7. Chapter 7

Sasha and Ana had fallen into peaceful companionship both on and off the gym floor. At first, when she first arrived, their relationship was a bit bumpy. Sasha was the coach and Ana, as all little sisters do, seemed to undermine him constantly. This angered Sasha at first, until he realized that these instances of undermining were actually very planned and normally had purpose. After that, they only had words off the mat. That did not stop Sasha from literally dragging his sister to the office, it just made them more peaceful.

She had been there for two weeks when Lauren decided to try to ice her out. Ana, like Sasha, saw a lot of talent in Payson and was subconsciously favoring the girl. Lauren, being a spoiled and depraved only child, sought attention. "So, I hear that you actually quit Gymnastics because you got pregnant and it caused a huge scandal."

Ana scoffed, annoyed. If she wasn't still a virgin, she probably wouldn't care as much. She was, however, still a virgin and the girl in front of her obviously was not. Part of her pitied the girl. More, she had heard all the rumors, but this was the first time _pregnancy_ was thrown out as a possible reason. Ana slowly answered Lauren, as if she was talking to a small child, "No, maimuţă, and you really shouldn't listen to gossip. It is bad for the soul."

Lauren reacted strangely to the name, looking around to see if anyone had recognition on their face to tell her what it meant. Of course, only Sasha did. "So, are you trying to tell me that you and Sasha did not commit practical incest?"

Ana's mouth dropped. The funny thing was, she had just defended herself to Summer a few days ago. Now the diavolului copil was claiming the same things. These Americans were absolutely insane! "Why would you even think that?" Ana said the words a little bit more harshly than she had anticipated. She flinched at her own voice. So did the girl in front of her. "Now go do your vault. I want to see it immediately. I want to see if we can upgrade it or add something to it." Ana was trying to be kind, but her voice still sounded deadly.

After telling Lauren "again, again" for the fourth time, Ana felt Sasha as he noiselessly skirted up next to her, watching Lauren intently. "What was that all about, dulce sora?" Ana let out a deep, long sigh.

"Lauren made an insinuation about you and I being a little less than moral and questioned my drop out in the sport." Ana said, quietly. She was still upset, but she was a better person than this sixteen year old. Sasha sighed.

"Why did you call her a maimuţă?" He tried to lighten the mood.

"Because, Alexandru, I figured that maimuţă was better than diavolului copil, căţea, or perra estúpida. Am fost un pic supărat, ştii. Aş vrea să pot controla temperamentul meu, uneori, al naibii." Ana's voice sounded small, sad. Then her face brightened, "I had a team building idea, frate, it is perfect. Perfect." Her voice was a little bit too cheerful and the thought made Sasha nervous.

"Da?" Sasha asked, cautiously. He knew that Ana must be plotting some sort of mischief for her mood to shift so quickly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Payson watching them as she pretended to get a drink of water. Kaylie and Emily were also not working. Normally he would yell at them, but it was almost lunch and his sister had an evil gleam in her eyes.

"Well, you know, I am a mycologist and a botanist, right?" Her voice sounded smug. Lauren had stopped practicing and was watching the exchange while inching as quickly as possible toward Kaylie and Emily for cover against the crazy Romanian girl.

"Yes, of course I know that. What does your profession have anything to do with the girls though?" Sasha asked, paling as Ana's face got brighter.

"Vreau să le ia într-o excursie în munţi peste noapte. Fără alimente. Numai produse alimentare pot găsi va fi acolo masa. Sunt sigur că va face aceste fete mici cred că de două ori înainte de a traversa mine." Ana almost shouted in excitement. She was literally bouncing with happiness. Then she demanded, "What do you think? It will do them good to have to trust me."

Sasha was still calculating the dangers he would have to face by even mentioning such a plan to the four elite's parents. He didn't particularly want to be tarred and feathered. "I will think about it. I do agree though, some sort of trust building is important. Don't you think this is a bit extreme?"

"Oh, look at the time! Lunch time everyone." Ana shouted as she almost ran away from Sasha. He looked at her quizzical as he turned toward the office. For most of his gymnasts, that announcement had them running for the door faster than Ana. They were tired and hungry. All of them, except one.

"Yes, Payson, what can I do for you, iubită?" Sasha asked, still trying to figure out his sister's strange behavior while weighing the benefits and risks of her crazy plan.

"I think you should tell Ana yes. " Payson stated in a rather matter-of-fact sort of way, shrugging her shoulders. Sasha paused. He looked very apprehensively at Payson. How did she know?

"Exactly what are you talking about, little miss?" Sasha almost demanded, he looked very worried.

"The camping trip. I think it is a good idea. You should say yes." Payson came up and put her arms around Sasha's waist, biting her lip and looking very hopeful. Instinctively, Sasha pulled her closer and placed his chin on her head.

"Exactly how much Romanian do you know, Payson?" Sasha asked, quietly.

"Hardly any, but I will understand you soon enough. Trust me. " She laughed as she untangled herself from Sasha and walked toward the door.

_How did she know?_

* * *

"What happened with your husband, Ana?" Payson asked, softly. She knew that Ana still needed to talk to Sasha about what happened with her husband. She wasn't sure if this was the best time, but Ana had been there for two weeks.

To be honest, Payson couldn't believe that Sasha and Ana hadn't talked about it yet. Ana was staying in the Airstream until further notice. Instead, it seemed like they were both avoiding the subject, instead using their time to scheme against the wills of the Elite Gymnasts, who both loved and hated Ana's presence.

Sasha, Ana, and Kim were sipping the wine that Ana had bought on Thursday last week in the office. It was now Friday evening and Ana had had her first interview of three with the Research hub this morning and they were celebrating. Ana was also celebrating the fact that Sasha had said 'yes' to the scheme she brought up to him yesterday morning. Payson had really scared him and it had taken them twenty minutes to convince Sasha that they had discussed it before hand.

Ana and Payson had really hit it off, Payson deeply respected the Gymnast, Ph.D. as Emily called her. Each of the girls had already been hoping and praying that she'd move to Boulder for good, even if they wouldn't admit it. Her coaching style was uncannily similar to Sasha's, but she was gentler in her tonal structure which made the "again, again" less annoying. She also could always offer a different perspective on failures and triumphs.

Payson was drinking the hot teat that Sasha had made for himself before learning of the wine. Summer had just left for the day and they were planning on watching the footage on the training cam, analyzing the floor routines. Ana wanted to have the opportunity to learn this aspect of coaching because, before this, she was simply regarded as a trainer or a judge, never as a coach.

Hearing the simply posed question, Ana sighed softly. She looked as if she was debating answering the question before she cringed saying, "He died in an accident. He was hit by a bus." Ana said, shivering at the memory. Kim and Sasha gasped, while Payson paled.

"I'm so sorry, dragă! I would have been more sympathic to you if I had known. Is that why you decided to move here, is Spain and Romania just too painful?" Sasha was kind, but the question stung. Payson was beginning to feel sick, Ana had not told the story yet and no one really wanted to know. Yet, like when watching a horror film, they didn't not want to hear it either.

"No, I wanted to come a long time ago, I just needed permission and a reason to transfer. I wanted to live closer to my only family, you know? Because, since Dmitri and Nicholai refuse to talk to me because I sided with you and then got married to that…that…" She paused, her features getting dangerously cold, angry, and sad.

Payson wondered why the strong, beautiful scientist looked so angry at the death of her obviously beloved husband. She had heard her talk to Sasha about the past, when they were all teenagers. She even shared her engagement story with the elite girls. Ana had been completely smitten with the man her maternal grandmother chose for her. She had nothing but fond memories from her childhood and early adulthood.

Then it dawned on her, the happy stories ended when Ana was a mere twenty years old. She didn't tell any stories of being married or of the marriage. This beloved husband was not as beloved as she had believed.

Then Ana was crying, hot and angry tears, "He jumped in front of the bus, Sasha. He loved his drink more than me. He chose death over me! He never touched me or talked to me sweetly. He used me and my money, and then when I asked that he stopped, that he go to Mass with me for the first time in years, that he treat me like the wife he loved and not a maid, he jumped in front of a bus and killed himself. Am I so awful that someone would choose that over me?"

Instantly Sasha's arms were around his sister, holding her. His lips whispered sweet and loving things to her in Romanian, English, and a language that neither Payson nor Kim knew. Payson was sitting in front of her holding Ana's hands with tears in her eyes. Kim was patting her back lovingly, not sure what to do.

After a while, when Ana was calmer, Sasha asked, "Was this all along, or recently?" He knew she needed to talk about it.

Ana sucked in a shuddering breath, "We were a happy couple while we were engaged. Then daddy told me that he had started drinking and daddy warned me not to marry him." Ana meant Nicholai when referring to daddy. She was always very formal when speaking of Dmitri. "I didn't want to listen. I knew he was right, but I chose to ignore the warnings. He never treated me the same after I became well, but I ignored what I knew. I was so happy at the wedding, beaming."

"I remember, dragă, you were the prettiest bride in the world." Sasha smiled as he kissed her forehead. Kim was stoking the girl's arms, absentmindedly remembering her joy at her own wedding. Payson knew that Kim was thinking of her own marriage, comparing it to the story of the girl. She'd call Mark tonight and tell him how much she loves him. Payson wanted to have a happy marriage someday, like her parents, but this story terrified her.

"Yes, well, my happiness lasted until my wedding night. He didn't even touch me! He wouldn't look at me. He drank himself to sleep. The next five years were the same. I didn't divorce him because I took a vow, he didn't divorce me because he needed my money. I never thought I would be a virgin after five years of marriage, but here I am. A virgin widow. Life is so odd at times." Ana barked out an ironic laugh, then began to cry large tears.

"Was the man blind?" Sasha asked, angered. He smiled at his beautiful sister and then added, "you've always been the apple of my eye. You will always be special to me. Maybe, after all, you were called to that crazy idea you had as a gymnast. At the time I thought that perpetual virginity was insane…"

Ana laughed at Sasha's attempt to make her feel better. "You and I both know that I wanted that so I could do gymnastic for the rest of my life. I think my body decided differently."

Kim and Payson gently patted the girl on her back, amazed at how hard her life at been. Sasha was thinking it too. She had worked her entire life and other than right now, she was a strong and happy girl in spite of her life.

Kim and Payson excused themselves as soon as they were able to politely, leaving the brother and sister as they cried together and remembered the past.


	8. Chapter 8

"Well, no." Admitted Ana as she stood before the parents of the elite girls. They were not too excited about the camping trip scheme that Ana had presented them.

"So, you want to take my only, precious daughter into the mountains for team "bonding" without having any past experience with our mountain ranges, predators, or teenage girls? More so, you want our girls, who are elite gymnasts I might add, to skip out on practice for four days for a pointless camping trip? I think I can speak for us all when I say 'Oh, Hell No,' am I right?" Steve Tanner said with vehemence.

Summer, who just happened to be staying in the huddle, had a conflicted look on her face. Likewise, Khloe looked that she wasn't sure if she should agree with Steve Tanner or not. This would ultimately be Emily's decision anyways. Kim scoffed and Ronnie looked as if she was going to say something, but was cut off by a very low hum of a male's voice.

It was the first time Sasha had spoken up since Ana had dropped her bomb-shell of an idea on the parents. He simply stated that Steve Tanner had only one of his facts right and that he did not let Ana finish her statement. The other parents looked questioningly toward the girl. Ana spoke calmly, "As elite gymnasts, it is vitally important that your girls learn to trust each other as a team. Over the last several weeks, I have noticed a few trust issues as Sasha and the other coaches can testify to. I believe that the pointless camping trip can be used to address these issues.

"Your girls would not be wasting their time while we hiked and camped in the mountains. They will be learning valuable skills, as well as trust and coping strategies that will help in the healing process for some of the girls. Don't think I haven't noticed how hurt they are. Furthermore, this is not the first time I have interacted with teenage girls, Mr. Tanner. I have a vast amount of experience: professional, volunteer, and gymnastics related. Also, I would like to point out that I have a Ph.D. in Biology, I am well aware of all the dangers in the forestry and mountains of your little state. I know of things here that you don't. I know how to avoid them and treat almost any accident that could occur.

"Also, I have every intention to scout the area I want to take them. I cannot in good conscious take them somewhere I have not been. There will be a forestry ranger there to help and chaperon the girls. Her name is Maya and she is very knowledgeable of the area. She'll be here tomorrow for you all to meet. I must tell you, however, my family always goes hiking in the Mountains of Romania with me any time I am at home. I know how to hike. I would really appreciate an open mind in this. I do not want answers now. Think it over and let me know by tomorrow afternoon. Please read the information packets I put together and fill out the permission slips. Remember, your girls need a mental and physical break from all things gymnastic every-once-in-a-while. Please consider this. If we do not have one hundred percent participation, then we have zero percent participation. Now, Khloe, I need to talk to you."

Sasha stayed and talked a bit longer with the Rock mothers and Steve Tanner. Ana walked into Sasha's office with the Kmetko mother following her. Once they arrived, Khloe took a seat while Ana shut the door.

"I know your daughter's not-so-well- kept secret. I know that this camping trip is a concern for you, financially. I want you to have this. If you don't accept it, I will just anonymously pay your next three months' rent for your apartment." Ana said in an almost threatening tone of voice.

"You know Emily has a job? Does Sasha know?" Khloe paled, while looking out toward her daughter who was practicing her floor routine. Ana looked down at her white tennis shoes for a moment, debating how to answer the very worried, very eccentric woman before her.

"Having a place of documented employment violates her scholarship. You had better thank your lucky stars that someone from the maldito NGO has not found out yet. I would be weary, if I were you. Sasha does not yet know, I will not tell him. I think Emily should. If you really need the money that badly, surely we can find some other way that does not risk half your livelihood." Ana was kind, but looked extremely serious as she spoke. She sucked in a pained breath before continuing, "There are plenty of scholarships that she can apply for in addition to the NGO scholarship. I can get her an agent that can help get her sponsorship deals, if you'd like. It will be a while before that money can be counted on, but it is a future option. You need to do something for both your children. I might even be able to set you up with a better paying job, if you'd like and have the necessary skills for it."

Khloe looked at the young blonde woman standing before her and stared. She had never heard of any of these options before. Never had anyone offered to set her up with a good job. She smiled at the bright eyed girl before her and stated, "I will have to talk to Emily. How did you know?"

Ana coughed, "I like pizza." Then the blonde girl hid her head in the fold of her unzipped royal blue warm-up jacket and said quickly, "I ran to the Pizza Shack hoping to get a small mushroom, chicken, and spinach pizza. I walked in and saw Emily standing behind the counter, not wanting to embarrass her, I turned and ran back to the Rock."

"Why are you ashamed of eating and liking pizza? It is just food!" Khloe could not believe the sight before her. Here was a strong and beautiful young woman who was afraid to eat pizza!

"I am not a very good cook, so I "eat out" a lot instead of stuffing myself with cereal like other people do. I have acquired a taste for pizza, but pizza is very unhealthy for you. So, whenever I go for pizza, I run."

Khloe laughed at the shame-faced girl in front of her. Then she thanked her for the money and said she would be back for a meeting between her, Sasha, Ana, and Emily to discuss options before excusing herself.

"What was that all about, cerb mici?" Sasha asked as he sat opposite of the girl. Ana was pacing and practically pulling out her hair in the process.

"What are the chances that I get my camping trip, meu renegat?" Ana asked, ignoring his question. She was stretching her tired legs and her eyes showed a far-off look.

Sasha quickly took note of his sister's appearance. She looked vastly different than she did ten minutes ago while talking to the parents. Her outfit of jeans, a grey shirt, and a royal blue warm-up jacket suddenly seemed very dull. Her entire appearance had an emptiness about her. He did not remember her ever looking like this before. Her hair disheveled and her eyes becoming red and puffy without the use of tears, although she was on the verge of tears.

It was funny, Ana had never really been one to cry. She was a very strong woman and hardly ever let anyone know that she was upset. This look was strange for her. It worried Sasha. "I hope so, sora mea. It sounded like they were willing to consider it. Are you alright?"

Ana glanced up and pursed her lips before shaking her head. "I am beginning to slowly lose my grip on reality, Sasha. I don't know what to do right now. Pray for me?"

Sasha balked at her innocent request, "Will your God really appreciate my prayers?"

Ana smiled softly before answering, "He was your God too before mother died. Maybe he'd like to hear from you." She turned her head thoughtfully before adding, "You need to watch Payson on Vault. I think we can increase her DOD's. Maybe add that move you were working with her on before her injury. I think she can handle it. She has been compensating for her height quite well."

"I'll view her later. It is almost lunch time, Kim invited us for a picnic with her and Becca. Payson will be headed to the Spruce Juice with the other elites."

Ana nodded her head and smiled, "Apoi, i se poate cunoaste pe mama ta în noua lege." Sasha just smiled.

* * *

"Maya seems to be a very knowledgeable person and the information you provided in your packet was enough to make me see that you should have your camping trip. Lauren will be upset, but a little bit of fresh air will do her well. Besides, if I promise to let her go shopping for her needed clothing, sleeping bag, supplies, and tent, she'll concede quickly. Are you sure you don't need help footing the bill for all the food?"

Ana smiled at Steve Tanner. Apparently somewhere during the course of the past twenty-four hours, it dawned on him that his daughter might actually need a change of pace. "No, sir, I have it covered. It is the least I can do. Thanks for the offer." The rest of the conversations with parents were similar, except for Kim who had given the signed permission slip back before lunch was over the day before. All the girls were going with very little drama, except Emily seemed to be absolutely pissed off at Ana all day that day.

"Elite girls, my office now!" boomed Sasha's voice after all the parents had left. He went up and Ana, along with the four nervous looking girls, joined him.

Sasha looked sternly at the four girls before nodding toward the literally bouncing Ana who started immediately, "By this time, in exactly two weeks, we are going on a camping trip! It will be myself, you four girls, Sasha, Kim, Summer, and Maya – my friend from the forest industry. Isn't that exciting?"

Payson squealed in happiness. Emily continued to looked angry and annoyed. Lauren and Kaylie both allowed their jaws to drop before stating, simultaneously, "Camping, me?"

"Yes, you, both of you. It will do you good. Now, because you received the shock of your life, I promised your parents that you could leave early to go shopping for supplies. Ana will give you a list. Only bring what is on the list. You are backpacking, so only bring what you can comfortably carry." Sasha barked before dismissing them. He then turned to his notebook where he was sketching Payson's new routines. He noticed that he had a hell of a lot more routines for Payson than for all the other girls combined. He chuckled to himself as Ana skirted lightly out of the room.

"Miss Kmetko, I need to have a word with you. Shall we go into the med room?" Ana's voice was laced in authority that just dared Emily to defy her.

"Yes, ma'am." Emily sneered as she stalked toward the room.

"What exactly is your problem with me today, miss Kmetko? I leave you be for the most part because I respect your individual style and allow Sasha to mold you; however, I will not stand for your obvious distaste and disrespect for my suggestions." Ana still had her authoritative tone.

"So, I am just supposed to sit around while you blackmail me?" Emily seethed. Her face grew red with anger.

Ana laughed out loud, "Blackmail? Seriously, Emily, why on earth would I need to blackmail a seventeen year old girl? Is this because I am suggested that you tell Sasha about the job?"

"You don't understand. You came from a privileged family just like the rest of them. I need to work. I have to work. I have a real job, unlike the rest of the elites here. If I don't work, my family starves. So, yeah, you're blackmailing me."

Ana just stared at the girl, not sure what to say before the girl continued, "It isn't like you have ever held down a real job, Ms. Olympian!"

Ana scoffed, "Held down a real job? Are you kidding me? You're pizza shack job is hardly a real job. You work part time, in the evenings, while making pizza. I am on sabbatical right now, Emily, from a real job. Unlike the twenty hours of work you put in a week at minimum wage, I work a minimum of thirty hours in a lab each week with another twenty-five in the office. I spend my weekends out in the field. I easily pull off a sixty hour work week every week and I still find time for continued education, volunteer work, and gymnastics. Grumbling bellies count on you, the entire biosphere is affected by what I do. This is just a hobby, Emily. A hobby I can and will quit if I feel that my real job needs me more."

She sucked in an angry breath before continuing, "What is more, I would never blackmail anyone! I simply told your mom that I think you should come clean to Sasha before the NGO finds out. There are other ways to get money, you know. I've been doing research to help you. I'm not sure why I want to help a snotty kid, but I do. Besides, you hardly know me or the life I lived as a child. It is much different than what you'd expect. You need to do some perception checking when you go home. Now, go."

Emily ran out of the med room with tears in her eyes. Ana felt guilty for over reacting, but she decided to apologize for it tomorrow. For now, a run to the dojo she found would suffice.


	9. Chapter 9

Ana was walking into the Rock through a side door, carrying some paperwork she had sorted for Sasha the night before, when she heard angry and intent whispering.

"Getting a job from her would be like accepting money from your ex-scumbag boyfriends. We don't need her help, we're doing just fine. I don't want you talking to her any more." The voice was clearly Emily's. She was obviously talking to her mother about the offer to help that Ana provided. Ana quickly ducked under the stairwell to listen. She was sincerely hurt that Emily regarded her to be as bad as Khloe's past boyfriends.

The night before, when talking to Sasha, it was revealed that Sasha felt that Emily had supreme trust issues and "spoiled brat blame everything on mom syndrome." He basically told her to keep trucking with Emily and that she would have to earn her pseudo-trust.

"Emily Kmetko, that is an unkind thing to say. Ana is a very kind and honest woman. If she says she wants to help, I believe that it is from an honest position that she wants to help. I don't know who you think you are to presume to tell me who I can associate with and who I cannot." Khloe's voice was thick with tears.

It hurt Ana's heart to hear it. She knew that Khloe had tried her best with her children. She was just one of those people who had always been in lower and working class and did not know how to rise above it. Emily, in spite of her "real job," was ashamed of her mother and position in society.

"I got us here, me! It is my talent that even lets us live here, in that apartment. If it wasn't for me, we'd still be living in the projects of Fresno! I think you should respect my wishes when I say that I do not want you associating with one of the coaches here at the Rock. It isn't like you have a right to it anyways. I work hard to help put food on the table. No one else has to work, they all have rich parents. Boy, was I born of the wrong family." Emily snapped.

On the contrary, Khloe had more rights to talk to the coaches privately than Emily. Emily was still a minor and a newbie to the professional side to the sport. She felt as if she was entitled to her spot, when in reality, her attitude and utter disregard for the rules could get her kicked out at any moment. Ana decided that she had heard enough of this. She very loudly started humming and walking.

"Emily, practice started fifteen minutes ago. Might I suggest you get in there before Sasha suspends you for a week or two?" Ana stated as she walked in the general direction of the office.

"Don't talk to her!" Emily said in a strained whisper, which made Ana want to laugh. Prost copil!

After Emily had stalked off, Ana said kindly, "I have some numbers for you to call. If you have any sort of secretarial background, that would help. If not, I have a training conference, in Denver, that you can do while Emily is camping. I would invite you to come with us, but I know Brian needs you. I figured that a two-day conference wouldn't harm him though. Kim even offered to stay behind and keep an eye on him if needed. Let me go get the list."

Khloe stood there, dumbstruck. This young girl had obviously been listening in to Emily's threats, but shrugged them off. Khloe was honestly thinking of not talking to her. Soon enough too giggling voices were on their way toward her. It was Kim and Ana.

"Here is the list. You call to set up an interview at each, fill out the application once you get there. Each job pays a minimum of $13.50 an hour and there are both full and part time positions open. I know it is not much, but it has to be better than working as a nail specialist. They already know that you have obligations with the Rock and your son. They're willing to work with you. So are Kim, Sasha, and I. What do you think?" Ana was smiling.

"If I work 30 hours each week, at that wage, I can make what Emily and I make together in a month in a pay period. What if I am not qualified?" Khloe couldn't believe how kind Emily was being.

"Well, Khloe, that's where I come in." Kim smiled. She really enjoyed helping other people. Mark had said the night before to do what she wanted. She knew Payson would be fine camping with just Summer, Ana, Sasha, and Maya. There was nothing too much to worry about.

"How could you help me?" Khloe was still imagining being able to provide for her family, all by herself, for the first time.

"Well, for starters, I am going to help you build a competitive résumé. After which, I am going to help you keep an eye out for Brian when you're working and he is not at school. I have a Bachelor's degree in Human Growth and Psychology, with an Associate's in Social Work. I don't use them because my husband doesn't really want me to. Plus, working here covers our food and gym expenses." Kim explained, with a smile and a nod. She was obviously looking forward to using her degrees again.

"Plus, if you wanted to go to college, online, to become a Paralegal, medical assistant, or something, Sasha and I are willing to pay for it so long as you promise to pay us back. That came out wrong. We are thinking about starting up a Scholarship Fund for the girls. Specifically those girls who show exemplary character, but cannot get the gymnast scholarships. We are willing to pay your college tuition and books, so long as you pay back into that account. It would only be for an Associate's degree and you'll definitely get grants. Call it a student loan, but only if you want to." Ana hadn't talked to Sasha yet, but she was sure between Kim, Payson, and herself, they could convince him.

Khloe stood there for a moment before nodding. She then smiled at both women and asked, "Do we work on getting into college, the résumé, or job interviews first?"

Kim smiled and said, "Come with me, we'll get all three done today. Oh, and Ana, not being able to contain herself, has already paid your tuition for three separate conferences in Denver over the next few weeks. I can watch Brian and Emily for the first one. The other two are while Emily is camping. She hopes she didn't over-step herself, she is just excitable."

Khloe shook her head violently, "She didn't. I would have never done this for myself. I guess I needed a little push." She turned and hugged Kim. "Thank you for doing this. I really want to be able to provide for my kids and set a better example."

"No problem. It is the least I can do." Kim smiled as the two walked into the office.

Meanwhile Ana, Kaylie, Lauren, and Payson had begun to race back and forth on the mats. Emily was sulking in the corner, pretending to stretch. Sasha determining whether or not one of the Junior Elites could up her DOD.

* * *

Ana was enjoying the quiet serenity of the mountainous road she was running. It was only a block away from the Rock, but it was lovely. The early summer air was cool and dense around her. She looked up at the clear sky and predicted that tomorrow, it would be raining. She really enjoyed running. Running was freedom, well until your cell phone rings.

"This is Ana." She breathed into the phone. She recognized the number, it was Kim.

"You need to get to the Rock, with your computer, now! Ellen Beals dropped in on a parents' meeting with a rather incriminating picture." Kim said hurriedly. Kim knew that no matter what it was, Ana downloaded everything onto her external hard-drive of her lap top. Ana claimed it was easier to go in and erase after than to ask it to download one thing at a time. So, when Ana watched the training cam, it had downloaded. Ana picked up her pace, getting to the Rock in a minute and a half, but extremely sweaty.

She grabbed her computer and external hard-drive from the Airstream, confusing Sasha, and ran in.

"Wait a minute, wait a goddamn minute!" Kim cursed. It was the first time that Kim had ever cursed in public. It effectively shut up even Ellen Beals.

"I knew about this and that picture misconstrued the entire situation. Payson had a small crush on Sasha. She got caught up in the moment and kissed him. He pushed her away. It was innocent." Kim said.

Ellen scoffed, before saying, "I think the picture shows otherwise. You have no proof. How old is Payson, Mrs. Keeler?"

"She is now seventeen, Ms. Beals. Again, it was just an innocent crush." Kim glared at the woman who was trying to ruin her daughter's career, as well as Sasha's.

"Yeah, right." Said a male voice. It sounded like Steve Tanner, but Ana was not close enough to the conversation to see.

"No, it is the truth. I have the proof right here." Ana shouted, running up to the meeting. She handed over her computer to Kim, who busily set it up to the over-head projector.

"Please excuse my entire look, I was out running when I got an anonymous call that I might be needed here. I know I probably smell, please excuse that too." Ana smiled gaily. She took the floor before the parents and gave a pointed look to Ellen Beals. Ms. Beals walked slowly off to the side. The two women were wearing matching black track suits. The blonde was wearing hers for the correct purpose, as her sweaty and matted hair that stuck to her forehead, face, and neck illustrated.

She smiled again before starting, "This happened the day before I got here. Sasha showed me the video the afternoon that I arrived, asking for advice on how to deal with this delicate situation. He was afraid that by pushing Payson away, as is appropriate, he hurt her feeling therefore damaging her trust. He further damaged her trust by flinching when he should have adjusted her position on beam. He told me that he had called Kim before Payson was out of the building to let her know what had happened.

"As you all know, Payson broke her back and it is a miracle she is even back in this sport. What you might not know is that the road to recovery was anything but easy. Having been there, I know what kind of pain and suffering that these girls go through when they come back from an injury. Payson had made a break through that evening and her emotions were going crazy. Whether she had a crush on Sasha or not, she needed to channel her emotions somehow. It would be no different that you hugging you best friend or kissing your spouse when you get good news. Sasha immediately pushed Payson away, as you'll see now."

The video played. Ronnie and Khloe, being rather sentimental women, teared up. Alex nodded his head several times. Kim was smiling. Steve Tanner looked relieved. Ellen Beals looked afraid.

After the video clip was over, Ana continued, "You might be wondering why I have that still. It is because I download everything onto my computer. I have a very important job and a lot of people send me important documents. I am even on a review board for scientific journals. I have to have a back-up. So, when I watched this, it was downloaded as well. Anyways, tomorrow I have an appointment with the NGO to petition my status as a coach. Due to health reasons, they are afraid to give me certification. I will bring up this matter with them then."

People began to file out, but Steve Tanner stopped next to Ana, "Looks like your camping trip is very needed. I have a feeling my daughter had something to do with this." Ana nodded while he left. She was still getting her camping trip. _Yey!_

* * *

"So, as you can see, I believe that your organization needs to do more investigation before pulling out the big guns on someone's career. You could have ruin Payson and Sasha in the gymnastics world for life. Anyhow, as you will not revoke your ruling as to my certification, I suppose I will have to just remain a measly pat time assistant coach. Because they don't need certification." Ana stated. The members of the NGO board where furious that Ellen Beals would go through such lengths to ruin one man's career. Frankly she was an embarrassment.

"You understand why, of course?" One of the board members asked after a pause of awkward silence.

Ana smiled sadly, stood up straighter, and then said, "Frankly, I do not. I am certified by the Olympic Committees, the International Gymnastics Incorporation, as well as Spain and Romania. The NGO is not so important that it should decide that someone in remission for Leukemia, who has the qualifications, cannot coach."

Another member spoke, "It is too much of a risk."

Ana stifled a laugh, "The Olympic Committee is taking a chance on me, a risk. Because I cannot judge nor commentary this cycle due to my girls in both the Spanish and American teams, they have offered that I can do an honorary performance, not for competition. I am considering it."

"It is just not a risk we can take. We examined your cause long and hard. If, in a few more years, you want the certification again, you can try. For now, our ruling is solid. You are more than welcome to be an assistant coach at the Rock though. We hope you have a nice day and will look into the other matter you presented. Thank you for the tape and the picture that Ms. Beals brought." The chairmen of the committee said, kindly dismissing Ana.

Once Ana got into her car and drove to a small park, she called Sasha.

"I feel so dirty, Sasha, knowing that that was not the only time you've kissed. I know it has been weeks and you both have showed herculean efforts to control yourselves and be professional." Ana sighed into the phone.

Sasha was quiet. Then he said in a choked voice, "It has been weeks, but maybe I should go away."

Ana shook her head, not that he could see, "No, my rebel, that would not help. It would make you look guilty."

"I am guilty." Ana got out of the car and sat under a tree, tears forming in her eyes.

"That might be true, but it is a different situation. If you leave now, you'll break her heart. I know you feel guilty now, but in a few years it will be different. When I call that little girl sister, no one is going to care." Ana smiled through her tears.

"Everyone is going to care. Oh, god, why am I such a fool. Her parents will never speak to me. The press will never leave us alone. Falling in love with her is going to ruin her life." The he mumbled, "I should take back the ring…"

Ana laughed, of course he would have already gotten Payson an engagement ring. Time and again, talking at night, he had said that he loved the girl unlike any other person before.

"Don't do that, silly. It is going to be okay! No one will care after a few years. No one will care about the age difference. You look so young. No one will care about the relationship you had. Just hold on until she's done with college. No one will notice. The press will be onto new Olympic hopefuls, not retired Olympians." Ana said, then added, "They won't rethink their judgment on my health, so I called the Olympic Committee and we are doing our duet as the opening act."

"What if I cannot wait that long, Ana?" Sasha ignored her attempt to change the subject.

"Then we cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, if you feel you must put a ring on her figure, get her a promise ring." Ana laughed at her own suggestion. Payson was good at keeping secrets, but the gesture would make her happy.

"A great plan. Meet me at the jewelry shop in an hour?" Sasha suddenly sounded excited.

"Be right there." Ana smiled, hung up the phone, and then groaned. _**This was so confusing!**_


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: One of my reviews asked about the duet. I got the idea from Episode 14 "Are We Having Fun Yet?" I am fully aware that Gymnastics does not have duets, but Sasha had to get the idea from somewhere, right? It was supposed to be something just for fun that Sasha and Ana did when they were younger. Nothing for competition, purely recreation. Besides, my Olympic Sport of choice (figure skating) does have duets. Pretend it is an AU for this one little thing.

Also, I know this is the third update in two days. It is also the last up-date for like two weeks. Sorry.

* * *

"Seriously? You think a huge rock on a promise ring is a good thing?" Ana looked at the _engagement ring_ Sasha was trying to pass off as a promise ring with horror. It was a bigger stone that the one in her own bridal set.

"You think that this is too big? Maybe I should exchange the engagement ring…" Sasha said, ashamed.

Sasha and Ana had been looking at rings for an hour now. Both Ana and the sale's representative were trying to coax him toward the real promise rings, but he kept coming back to the engagement rings. Ana laughed internally at Sasha's stubbornness.

"Exactly how big are we talking, Mr. Big-spender? How much did it cost?" Ana asked playfully.

Sasha coughed out a number, but it wasn't clear enough for Ana to understand. Both she and Sasha had some money, but Ana didn't believe in spending it all on a ring. She asked again, but Sasha was suddenly very interested in Ana's up-coming interview. It would be the second of three and he knew Ana was sort of nervous.

"I think the elites and I should go with you for moral support. Then we can go into Denver and do some team building at a really fun place." Sasha stated. Ana got suspicious, but ignored it. Sasha was being secretive, so she decided not to ask.

"Sure, sounds fine. I'm not really that nervous though. They have to let me transfer, you know. It is whether or not I get the position that I want – that's what I am interviewing for." She hummed.

"What about this one? It is nice, simple, elegant, and doesn't scream 'engagement.'" The sale's lady returned with a sweet little ring that had a thin, rose gold band and one small stone. It was lovely. It was also the last ring in the "promise ring" section of the display case.

"Oh, it is beautiful and she could wear it all the time. Right? This stone is set well enough to endure brutal training?" Ana turned toward the sale's representative with a hopeful glance.

The lady nodded, but Sasha looked displeased. "It is the prettiest one from that section yet, but I don't know. It doesn't say enough."

"It isn't supposed to say that much, rebel, it is supposed to be a promise." Ana stated, with the nodding of the sale's representative behind her. After a few more encouraging words, Sasha decided to buy it.

The two siblings walked to the Ice Cream parlor down the street in comfortable silence. They got a Banana Split, to split. Sitting down, Ana started, "Payson told me that you gave her your 'all around.' I must say, I was a little surprised."

Sasha nodded and then took a huge bite of the ice cream to avoid answering the inquiry. Ana laughed at his facial expression when he realized it was a bit too much ice cream. Finally he swallowed and stated simply, "It was only to inspire her. I'll get it back."

Ana scoffed, "Yeah, when you're married. I don't think she plans on parting with it." Sasha looked at the blonde girl sitting next to him when suddenly another blonde, the object of his affections, waltzed in. She, Becca, and Kim were laughing.

"I didn't know the two of you had become so close." Sasha stated, motioning toward the other girl with a smile. Ana turned just in time to watch Payson order the most sinfully delicious, but calorie packed, ice cream on the menu. Ana giggled as Payson paled when she turned around.

"Don't worry, Pay, it isn't like your coach is sitting here or anything." Sasha laughed at her expression. Then he said to Kim, "Would your lovely family like to join us while we are breaking the rules?"

Kim smiled as she paid for the ice cream and then ushered the suddenly sullen group to the table where the two Romanians sat.

"Oh stop it you two. I won't tell that nasty coach of yours. This secret ice cream adventure will be our little secret. In fact, we won't even talk gymnastics!" Sasha promised. Payson and Becca looked relieved. Both girls were wearing bows in their blonde hair, making them look like twins. It was obvious they were having a silly day.

"Would you like to share the joke?" Ana asked after she had finally stopped giggling at Sasha's attitude. She felt Sasha slip the box that contained the ring into her purse and smiled. He was nervous!

"Oh, well, not really…it is kind of personal. We were shopping." Payson blushed. Immediately Ana and Sasha both knew what she was shopping for. Kim smiled at the knowing looks that the adults had.

"Oh, well, Sasha and I were just doing some shopping too. Ice cream is the perfect ending to a shopping trip, I would say!" Ana smiled, then added, "I was thinking, we should go shopping for the camping trip together. That is, if you don't already have your stuff?"

"No, that sounds great!" Payson said, smiling. She then turned to her ice cream and began eating it like there was no tomorrow. Sasha shook his head in disbelief. He would have never imagined his most disciplined gymnast eating a double fudge, double caramel, turtle brownie ice cream.

"So, I was wondering if you two would like to come over on Friday for dinner and a movie. I'll have Emily and Brian, and I was told how wonderfully you both know how to cook…or was that how horribly…" Kim said with a smile.

"Oh, can we watch Beauty and the Beast?" Ana asked hopefully. Everyone, but Payson, looked at Ana like she was strange.

"Why on earth would you want to watch that, Ana? You are an adult, not a six-year-old." Sasha chided. Ana pretended to pout.

"She's never seen a Disney film before. I told her it was my favorite Disney." Payson offered, then added, "I was hoping for Phantom of the Opera, personally, as that is my all-time favorite."

"Both?" Ana smiled sweetly at Kim who shook her head in disbelief.

"How about we let you borrow any Disney you want to watch?" Kim tried to compromise because she was sure her other guests wouldn't be fond of the two movie choices. Ana nodded in pleased consent.

"Onto other business, I think what the two of you are doing for the Kmetko's is very noble. Thanks. I just wish Emily would be honest with me about their situation. I would like to help more." Sasha stated.

"Emily isn't currently your biggest fan, Sasha, because Ana is your sister. This camping trip is bound to be interesting." Becca stated, adding, "Wish I could go."

"More than you know." Ana moaned. Then she brightened up, "Let's play a game! A get to know me game. We'll go around the table and tell one truth about ourselves that we think the others would like to know!"

"Then we can play 'Kiss, Marry, Kill'! This is going to be fun!" Becca chattered. Payson groaned, blushing, while setting her hand on the bench beside her.

"I don't know that one, but it sounds fun. You'll start it, but I'll start this one. We'll tell five things: favorite color, flower, season, book, and one other truth." Ana stated, then she turned thoughtful. After a second she stated, "My favorite color is definitely blue. My favorite flower is _Antirrhinum __boissieri,_a type of snap dragon. Season is early spring. Favorite book is _Ballad of the White Horse _by G.K. Chesterson. The one other truth is that I am afraid of the dark." Payson giggled while Sasha rolled his eyes.

"My turn," said Kim who was sitting to Ana's right, "My favorite color is orange. My favorite flower is daisies because my girls pick them for me. My favorite season is winter. My favorite book is _Phantom of the Opera_, probably where Payson gets her obsession. My one other truth is that I have always dreamed of riding an elephant." Ana nodded, but the two girls giggled.

"Now me! I love the color pink. My favorite flower is orchids, season is summer break. Book is _The Hunger Games_. One other truth is that I have always wanted to be an actress, secretly." Becca sang.

"That is not a secret." Kim laughed.

Under the table, Sasha was subconsciously drawing geometric shapes on Payson's hand with his finger. She didn't seem to notice and Sasha did not even fully comprehend what he was doing. It was her turn to start and she was looking thoughtful before she started, "My favorite color used to be purple, but it is light blue now. My favorite flower is Lilacs. Favorite season is Autumn. My favorite book is _Til We Have Faces_. My other truth is that I really, strongly dislike being forced to go to ballet." She looked pointedly at Sasha, then Ana.

Sasha shrugged, "It is good for you, Pay." He removed his hand from hers and secured it with the other on his lap. It was only a moment before Payson's hand crept up and joined them. Slowly they intertwined their fingers as Sasha began, "My favorite color is green, I suppose. Flower is – this game is so silly, by the way – dandelion."

"But that's a weed!" Becca couldn't help but interrupt.

"Aw, but it makes an excellent tea." Sasha smirked as he squeezed Payson hand gently. With her free hand she had begun tracing the scalloped edges of her napkin. She was looking at it intently, trying to not give the fact that their hands were intertwined to her mother, Becca, or Ana. Sasha shifted slightly, moving their joined hands in between them, inching toward Payson's thigh.

"My favorite season is also Autumn. Book changes by the week, but I think it is _Clan of the Cave Bear_ right now. You know it, Ana?" Ana nodded while an eye roll. She hated that book.

Payson and Sasha's hands reached her thigh and Sasha was making soft circles on her knee, hands still intertwined, with his thumb. He resisted moving her skirt up higher and drawing more elaborate shapes on her bare thigh. He was enjoying the feeling of her soft, perfect skin against his calloused fingers.

"Your other truth, Sasha?" Payson smiled up at him. Payson then resumed her tracing. She thought about getting a pen out of her purse, but she didn't really want to let Sasha's hand go.

"Hmm…I have always dreamed of dancing with someone I really cared about in the rain. I just haven't found that person yet, you know? Silly dream." Sasha said, squeezing Payson's hand soothingly as if to let her know that she was his partner. Payson blushed slightly while both Kim and Becca commented on how sweet that dream was.

"Okay, so I would kiss Orlando Bloom, marry Jamie Bell, and kill Michael Thomas." Becca started.

Sasha laughed, "The level nine? The one who has a crush on you?" Ana jabbed him in the side, which make him laugh harder.

"Yes." Becca said lethally. Then her face brightened, "Mom?"

Kim smiled, "I would kiss Mark Keeler, I married Mark Keeler, and I would kill Jody McNeil." Payson smiled at her mother's choices.

"Why?" Sasha asked, obviously to the last question. Payson and Kim looked at him like it was obvious.

"She had a crush on Mark Keeler in high school!" Kim smiled.

"Of course, I should have guessed. Payson, I am sure we are all dying to hear your choices." Sasha smiled, watching Payson blush. He was now massaging her little hand in his large one. She was very good at not being obvious about what he was doing. She seemed to be ignoring it completely.

"Yes, I am dying to know!" Kim and Becca said at the same time, causing the table to ripple in laughter.

"Okay, okay. I would kiss John Wayne, marry Montgomery Clift, and kill Galbatorix." Payson said this as seriously as possible. She glanced up at Sasha who was trying not to laugh. She had purposely picked actors who had passed on and a character from a book. Sasha smiled, squeezing her hand with good humor.

Kim whined, "Oh, c'mon, Payson!" Payson simply smirked and then raised an eyebrow at Sasha. He decided to have a little fun with her.

"I would kiss an Olympian, I would marry a Woman, and I would kill a threat to my wife." Sasha felt Payson tense and then relax with each statement. He looked down at her and then the three other indignant girls sheepishly.

Ana was last and she smiled, "I would kiss Andrew Lloyd Webber, I would marry the Greek god Apollo, and I would kill a rattlesnake." They all laughed at Ana's facial expression.

"Alright you guys, the Keeler girls have to go. Otherwise Payson will miss her morning run because she hasn't finished her Calculus final." Kim said, staying up. Becca laughed. Payson huffed, squeezed Sasha's hand, and then stood up.

"Have a nice night, girls." Sasha said, waving slightly. Ana and Sasha got up and walked to the car.

Once there, Ana began talking about how much she wanted to learn how to cook. Sasha shook his head at his sister's obvious annoyance that Kim now knew her biggest secret.

"Payson brings me food every once in a while. She is a fantastic cook." Was all he said. Once they got back to the Airstream, Sasha went straight to bed.

* * *

"Thanks again for inviting us over!" Ana gushed as Kim led the two coaches into her house. Emily visibly tensed seeing them. She, Brian, and Becca were playing Life. Payson was curled up reading _Antigone_ for school. Ana followed Kim into the kitchen, determined to learn how to cook while Sasha plopped down on the sofa next to Payson. He was far enough away not to cause suspicious, but close enough to stroke her little feet that were tucked at her side.

"Good book, Payson?" Sasha asked.

"Sure, why not? I love Greek tragedies." She answered simply.

"She didn't finish her homework yesterday, so she has to do triple today. She has been working for three hours straight now. You might want to leave her be. Cause she got like way behind when she broke her back." Becca said. Sasha nodded, inconspicuously tweaking one of Payson's toes and then found his way to the hallway to look at the pictures there.

It wasn't long before he felt Payson pull at his shirt, nodding her head toward her room. "Want to see my trophies?" She asked, innocently. He nodded and followed.

She walked into her bedroom. It was very neat, nothing out of place. Sasha stopped at the door frame, feeling awkward, but refusing to go further. Payson rolled her eyes. She put the book on her desk, gathering up her Chemistry book. She told him the stories of each of the trophies sitting on the shelves next to her as she reviewed the chapters from the book, taking notes at the same time. She only paused to motion to a new trophy.

"Dinner, Sasha and Payson." Kim said, coming up behind Sasha. She was glad he was old fashioned enough not to enter a girl's bedroom. Although she knew she didn't have a thing to worry about, it is better to just avoid those situations.

"Coming." Payson said, standing up. As she passed Sasha she smiled and asked, "Will you help me study in the Kitchen for my history final while they are watching the movie?" He nodded.

Sasha chuckled ironically. He was about to help the love of his life with history homework. It made the age difference painfully obvious.

Dinner was delicious. Brian, as it turned out, was quite the comedian. Emily was still is a sour mood and Ana was killing her with kindness. Becca was chatting 10 thousand miles a minute. After it was over, Sasha insisted on washing the dishes while he helped Payson with her homework so everyone else could watch the movie. As it turned out, Beauty and the Beast was Emily's favorite, so the others conceded to allow Ana her choice of movies first.

Alone in the kitchen, Sasha and Payson did the dishes. Nudging each other slightly while Sasha asked questions about American History and Payson answered. He was impressed by her detailed completeness in her answers. She was already thinking very academically, something that most scholars learned how to do in college. She did not miss one question from the sheet of "possible questions" Kim had taped to the kitchen sink window for Sasha to read from.

After the dishes and counters were clean, Sasha reached for Payson's hand and pulled her lightly toward himself into a warm embrace. He kissed the top of her head and smelled her hair before pulling away.

"So, anything else you need help with, love?" Sasha asked, lightly. He still held her hand.

"Nope, I'm finally done with school for today. I have my finals tomorrow. Then, assuming I pass, I'll be a senior in high school." As she said this, Sasha once again was forced to realize how young she was. Although she was a grade ahead of the other elites. She was also much more intelligent. She was taking more advanced classes. He knew that her ACT and SAT scores were near perfect. She had a 4.0 in high school. Frankly, he was impressed by the small gymnast in front of him. He always marveled when he had to review quarter grades and the other three were barely passing while Payson seemed unchallenged.

"What classes will you be taking?" He asked, curious.

"Calculus III and Freshmen Composition online through the community college. I tested into Calculus III yesterday. Physics, Government, Economics, and Romantic History of Literature, Art, and Music – it is a History class. Do you have a college degree?"

"I do, indeed. I have a Bachelor's in History with a minor in Sport's Medicine." Sasha grinned, "What are you planning to major in while going to college?"

"Classic Literature. I told you, I like the tragedies. I want to go to a Liberal Arts School." Payson smiled, letting go of his hand as she sat down before the computer to show him the school. It was in Annapolis, Maryland. It looked like a good school.

"Well, I hope you get accepted then." He smiled, briefly deciding what it would be like to live there. Then Kim came into the kitchen to invite them to watch the second movie. It was going to be a Science Fiction movie that Brian brought with him. Luckily, Sasha was not too close to Payson when Kim came in. It was only because he and Payson were still reviewing the college website.

Emily and Becca were convinced by the mere words of cute boys. Ana, who hardly ever watched movies, was just excited to watch a movie. Payson and Sasha agreed, but were disappointed that they couldn't sit closer together.

After the movie, Payson excused herself, claiming that she wanted to go to bed early for finals. Sasha told her to not worry about practice tomorrow morning, promising her an evening run after finals were over.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I was too lazy to actually write the Spanish myself...so the grammar is probably horrible! I would also like to point out that this entire story is slightly AU/OOC. It is, after all, a fan fiction. I get to make the rules. Mwhahaha. Anyways, it has been a while since I made the disclaimer: I own nothing of MIOBI. I only wish I did.

Also, I am really bummed about CO Springs. Is anyone from there. I hope y'all are okay! I mean, I was almost evacuated from my home this summer. There has been a lot of fires. Sheesh!

* * *

"Hola, dragă. ¿Cómo estás esta mañana?" Ana's sweet voice broke the silence of the morning.

It was the morning before the big camping trip. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened over the last two weeks. Ana and Sasha pushed Payson extremely hard. Payson started her senior year of High school immediately, in spite of it being a typical break. She had passed all of her classes with flying colors. Payson was preparing to be forced upon the National Committee at World Trials in a few weeks, under a month in fact.

"Me está yendo muy bien y ¿cómo estás?" Payson replied, her voice was slightly hoarse from not being used. She smiled as she continued to stretch out. None of the other girls had arrived yet. It was close to eight in the morning which meant that they would be there soon.

When Ana learned that Payson knew Spanish she leapt at the opportunity to speak it with the girl. Kaylie was the only other person that was fluent in the language, which meant that they could have semi-private conversations if need be. Ana also noticed that Payson had begun to understand some Romanian. That made her more nervous. She wasn't sure if Sasha remembered how to speak Latin. If Payson learned Romanian, the playful banter between Ana and Sasha would have to be limited.

"Eh, bien. ¿Estás emocionado por el mañana?" Ana giggled at Payson's face. It had brightened up considerably. Payson was unsure about the camping trip at first. By at first, when Ana first told her about it. Now she was nothing but excited. Ana convinced her that it would be a good break.

"Are you girls enjoying your gossip?" Sasha called from the platform in front of his office. Ana sarcastically shot something back in Romanian that effectively shut him up. The only words Payson understood were old and woman. She had a feeling that Ana just insulted Sasha. His hands flew up in surrender and he went back into his office to finish the paperwork he had to get done before tomorrow.

Because Sasha was going to be otherwise occupied, today was Ana's day to shine. She was in charge of all the female gymnasts above level eight. It had been a while since she coached twenty five girls, but she was excited.

Speaking of the girls, the three elites were just stumbling in. They looked exhausted as they made their way to the locker room. Ana noted their unsteady steps and wondered why they looked like hell. Ana looked at Payson with a twisted facial expression, "¿Hubo un partido que no estaba al tanto de, Payson?"

Payson looked up, "Sí a ambas. Lo siento que no te lo digo. We still have to go shopping!" Kaylie had stumbled out of the locker room, looking rather green. She was muttering something. The other two girls had not come out yet.

"Eso es cierto. Hemos de ir con Sasha después de la práctica de hoy. Él está dejando que todo el mundo antes de tiempo." Ana said quickly and quietly to Payson. Then she left the girl alone. She floated over to where Kaylie was.

Sasha came out of the office just in time to hear Ana say, rather loudly, "¡Ay Caramba! ¡Las resacas son una puta!"

He stifled a laugh, knowing that Kaylie would be surprised to hear Ana talk like that. Kaylie replied, "¡Sí!" very excitedly, but nervously.

"Alright, get to work, ladies." Sasha shouted. Then he called Ana up to the office. She obliged and curtsied when she got there. Payson had a hard time not laughing at the weird looks everyone was giving Ana.

"Ah, Summer, I need to speak to you as well about the camping trip in a minute. For now, I need to speak to my sister. Do you mind giving us some privacy? Maybe you can offer aspirin to my gymnasts who seem to think underage drinking is perfectly acceptable." Sasha said, his voice was even but kind.

Summer seemed shocked, but looking out over the floor she could tell that three of the four girls looked like they were hurting. She decided it was her duty to give them aspirin, like Sasha suggested, as well as give them a lesson in morality. They were too young to be drinking!

"I want you to give the girls hell today. The worse practice they have ever had from you. Payson won't mind being punished too. She's a tough girl. I'll have Pam work with the other girls. If I don't think the work out is tough enough, we will be trading places. You can still forge my signature, right?" Sasha asked with a smirk. Ana nodded evilly. She would apologize to Payson when they went shopping this evening.

"I think you should give them a pep talk first. You'd think that they would have learned after your first week here." Ana giggled. She was plotting a day of pure, unbridled pain. She would definitely have to apologize to Payson…like now. Did Payson know those words in Romanian?

Sasha nodded, before saying, "After practice, am I invited to the great shopping trip?"

Ana nodded before walking out of the office unto the platform. Sasha followed her, calling for his elite. Ana bounded down the stairs and took vigil next to them, still grinning like a maniac.

"I thought we established before that there would be no drinking as my gymnasts. This is the second time you've been caught. I am sure you all think you are very clever. You will have the work-out of your lives under Ana's rule today. If I think it is not hard enough, I will step in. Remember, you are only here until noon today, I am sure Ana will make every second worth your time. Now go stretch." Sasha said sternly and sadly. All four girls groaned.

"Îmi pare rău pentru această dragă." Ana whispered to Payson. At first her sweet face scrunched up in confusion, but then understanding illuminated her features. She nodded her head sadly.

* * *

Payson, Sasha, and Ana were walking leisurely in the Outdoors Sportsmen Store. Well, Ana and Sasha were walking leisurely while Payson was more like waddling in pain. She had a massage coming to her for putting up with today. Ana made an appointment at the spa for three o'clock for the girl. "You know, you could have sent me to the annex to practice. It isn't like I broke the rules."

"Of course not, Payson. You were with us and your family last night while they were partying up. When I heard about the party, I thought for sure the girls were smarter than trying that again. I am rather put out." Sasha sounded upset. Sasha and Ana had come over for dinner last night. Ana was learning how to cook from Kim and Payson. Sasha simply watched.

"We are all going to be suffering tomorrow. I should be at home soaking in a tub of ice." Payson whined as she slowly picked up a new sleeping bag. Ana and Sasha seemed to know what they were doing as they carelessly tossed things into the cart. Sasha and Ana both let out soft laughter at Payson's attitude. Normally she wouldn't have behaved like this. It was obvious she felt wronged.

"Do we have enough wood? Are you sure the only food you want me to bring is breakfast cereal and beef cut into long strips?" Sasha asked, trying to figure out what Ana planned.

Ana nodded, "We should probably bring milk, water, and juice as well. I thought about Marshmallows, what do you think, Payson?" Sasha had volunteered to pack the food. He thought the list Ana had given him was rather odd. The amounts were worse. She had barely asked for anything. He would not cross Ana though. If need be, he could always leave and go to the store.

"They don't deserve a treat." Payson grumbled, flinching at her soreness. Sasha barked out a laugh in agreement.

"Yeah, but it won't be the same without them." He smiled. They continued walking in relative peace. Every once in a while, Payson would flinch in pain. She was pretty steady in spite of it.

"Snake bit kit, oh priestess of Gaia?" Payson asked sarcastically. Ana nodded, trying not to laugh. Payson was cute when she was feisty.

They continued to walk for a few more minutes with Sasha and Ana bickering while going in and out of English, Spanish, and Romanian. Payson grinned when she understood the Romanian. The English and Spanish were easy. She was glad that Sasha and Ana were such good friends. It made her hope that she and Becca would always be close.

"C'mon, Payson, we have to get you to your appointment. Ana, do you need money for all this stuff?" Sasha said, looked at his watch and pulling out his wallet at the same time.

Ana scoffed, "No, now get her out of here. I'll meet you at the spa in about twenty minutes. In the meantime, I am going to call each of the girls and inform them that they should soak tonight."

After the appointment was over, Ana took Payson home while Sasha went to the market. She told the now-comfortable girl to soak and then sleep well. After that was over, she headed back to the Airstream to follow her own advice. On the way she got a call from Summer, asking if there was any last minute supplies that needed to be brought. Ana told her not to worry.

* * *

The next morning, Emily was a nervous wreck. She really did not want to go on this camping trip. She did not want to leave her brother alone with the Keelers while her mother pretended that she was some hot-shot going to conferences. It really irked Emily that Ana had been so forceful with her mother. They still had to talk to Sasha, but Emily had tried to avoid it as much as possible. She had been taking double shifts to avoid her mother.

"Are you sure we have everything?" Emily asked Sasha for the fifth time. In all honesty he did not know. He still felt there was a lack of food.

"Yes, Emily, I am sure. I am not heading this expedition though, maybe you should ask Ana if you are that concerned." Sasha said, annoyed. He was still packing things in the truck of the large van that Summer had volunteered to rent. Summer was providing some last minute information to the parents. Ana was sorting through her backpack, trying to find something.

"Ana! Are you sure we have everything we need? What are you looking for?" Emily asked, paled, as she walked up to the woman.

Ana looked up and chuckled. "Yes, Emily, we have everything we need. I am simply looking for my sunglasses. I packed them last night like the prosti I am." Ana looked up at the frantic brunette. Emily was wearing jeans, a green hoodie, and tennis shoes. In fact, all of the girls seemed to be wearing the same thing. Ana herself was wearing khaki capris with a maroon polo that had the insignia of her research facility on the breast. Over that, she had a black warm-up jacket. Sasha and Summer took a similar approach as Ana to getting dressed. They were obviously trying to convey a mature adult demeanor.

Kaylie and Lauren were learning against the tree next to the van. They looked like they were being tortured, both playing with their smart phones.

Ana continued fiddling with her backpack as Payson walked up to Sasha. Ana took note of Payson's clothing as well. She was wearing jeans like the rest of the girls, but she had a long sleeve purple striped shirt on. Her hair pulled back in a curly bun. She was whispering something to Sasha. It looked like she was asking about the terrain of the campsite for runs.

Ana finally found the object of her search just in time for Emily to start up again. "Everything? Food? Toilet Paper? First Aid Kit? Snake Bit Kit? Tents? Rope? Water? Soap?" Emily rattled off her list quickly, practically in one breath.

"Emily, I told you, we have everything we need." Ana kept her voice low and even, but she had a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Emily studied her for a second before sighing loudly and walking away.

Ana threw her bag into the van and smiled at Payson and Sasha. They were now working quietly together. "Ready to go, everyone? Load into the van!" Ana said after a second.

Maya was going to meet the group at the camp site. Sasha was going to be driving. Summer sat in the front passenger seat, gleaming with excitement and sitting as close to Sasha and humanly possible in the twelve-passenger van. Ana sat directly behind Sasha with Payson taking the seat next to her. The other three girls climbed in the back, grumbling something about wanting to sleep in the car. They were also cursing Ana quietly for their soreness. Ana was trying not to laugh.

And they were off!


	12. Chapter 12

"Payson, you need to wake up. We're here." Sasha's soft voice pulled Payson gently from her dreams. It was nice to wake up to his glorious face, after all she was dreaming of him. Payson slowly stretched and looked around.

Summer was sleeping quite unattractively in the front seat. Ana must have brushed past Payson while she slept, because she was talking to the Forestry Ranger in front of the van. Payson stared for a second at how well the women were getting along before she realized that Ana did have friends in Colorado. In the back, the three girls were dead to the world, all sprawl out. Payson yawned before looking at Sasha with a content grin.

"How long have I been asleep?" She whispered as Sasha gently unbuckled her and helped her out of the van. He chuckled lightly at her airy voice.

"You fell asleep about an hour ago, Payson. Ana was the only one to last the entire trip with me." Sasha smirked as he pulled her into a quick hug.

"So, it was a two hour trip? Should I wake up the others?" Payson asked, her voice returning to its normal tones. Sasha looked conflicted as he considered it.

Ana smiled and waved at the girl. Maya's tent was already standing behind the two conversing women. "Yes, wake up your friends. We need to get this all set up. I'll be setting up the tents over here." Sasha finally said. Payson shook her head, calling over the two adult women to help.

They were going to have four tents total. Maya's tent would hold only herself. It was the same size as Sasha's two-man. Then, the gymnasts and two female chaperones would share a ten-man tent that included separated sleeping areas. Finally there was a kitchen slash dining room tent. Sasha was still puzzled as to what Ana was planning with the food.

Sasha was efficient at setting up the tents. Between Maya, Ana, Payson, and Sasha they went up in no time. The girls still slept peacefully. Then Payson went to wake up her friends.

Before long the groans and whines from the three other gymnasts could be heard across the campsite. Kaylie said some very unflattering words in Spanish while Emily and Lauren cursed enough to make a sailor blush in English. Summer woke up with a mortified look on her face.

"Why are they so upset?" Maya called to Sasha, who was beginning to put bags in their respective places.

"Ana gave them the work out of work outs yesterday. They broke the rules." Sasha replied, yearning a laugh from Maya.

Ana was in the kitchen tent, placing coolers in their perspective places. As far as Sasha knew most of those coolers were empty. Payson bounded over to help the young Romanian girl. Watching them, he began to realize what Ana had up her sleeve. If he was right, this was not going to be a very fun couple of days. Kaylie and Lauren were going to lose the big picture for sure.

"Alright, girls! Here we are! I'm excited to begin our adventure, aren't you?" Ana's chirper voice was met with groans and more colorful language. The three gymnasts were laying down in heaps on the ground next to the van.

Summer and Maya had begun to talk in front of Maya's tent near to the fire, quietly as not to disturb the opening ceremony. Payson and Sasha were standing in the kitchen tent by now, applying bug repellent to each other.

"Well, I suppose you are all hungry. Let me warn you, you get one free meal. After this, if you do not participate in what I have planned, you will not get to eat. Now, I'll go get the food. You freshen up or rest. It'll be done in fifteen minutes. After that, I expect your attitudes to change." Ana sang as she walked into the kitchen.

She reached into a bag and brought out something she did not pack. Nor was it on the list that she had given Sasha. She turned on the couple, looking hurt. "Sasha, do you not trust me?"

Sasha turned, looking at the food and paled. It was the protein bars that he and Payson had snuck with them. He internally cursed himself for putting them all in the same place.

Payson blushed before humming, "It isn't that we do not trust you, Ana."

At the revelation that Payson knew too, Ana frowned and put the bars back into the bag carefully. She looked genuinely hurt that her brother and new-found friend did not trust her. She turned away from them, reaching for the supplies for Submarine Sandwiches.

After a few minutes she turned her two companions, "Perhaps you can prove your trust and burn them. I will pay you back if need be." Sasha laughed out loud at Ana's childishness. He had never seen her behave like this before.

"Lunch is done." He good-naturedly shouted to the other campers. Ana nodded her head, understanding. Then the other campers arrived.

The campers were very sullen as they tred slowly toward the table. Ana looked at the teenagers sternly, debating before shrugging and turned around. After all, she was no longer in the best mood either. This was the first time Sasha had shown such utter disregard for her scheming ways. Not long after the long-faced campers arrived, Summer and Maya walked over. They seemed to be elated in conversation. Ana smiled, if Summer could get along with Maya, then she could get along with Summer. It was nice to know because she had the feeling that the next few weeks would be rather quiet if Sasha kept it up.

They all sat down at the solid oak picnic table, some happily while other were rather sullen. Ana suddenly perked up, "I thought I said I expected a change in attitude?" Her voice was smiling, laughing even. Both Sasha and Payson, who had been looking guilty, smiled. Ana was probably scheming again, but at least she wasn't upset.

There were sighs and then Lauren spoke, "I was under the impression that we could eat before changing our attitudes." Her voice held a sweet defiance. Ana raised an eyebrow while Lauren smirked.

They stared at each other for several seconds. Their faces were composed and neutral as they stared, Lauren in defiance, Ana in calculation. Suddenly, Ana's eyes gleamed and she shrugged again, "Suit yourselves, ladies. Your attitudes will change one way or another." Her voice held a threat to it, in spite of her sweetness in tone. Her threat was subtle, but very real.

It was slow realization that dawned on the young blonde's face as her eyes widened. For half a second, Lauren actually looked afraid. It was only a moment before she regained her curt, snobbish composure and nodded, "We shall see." Sasha and Summer snorted while Maya began to silently belly laugh. Ana grinned as she cut the sandwiches – this was going to be good.

She passed out the plates with the delicious looking sandwiches without another word. The adults gather at one end of the table and were eating over the days plans. It seemed that everyone was in on Ana's big plan, except Sasha. Briefly he wondered who did not trust who.

While they ate, in almost absolute grumbling silence, Kaylie and Lauren where playing with their iPhones. Emily was sitting at the table, face down, mumbling something about not having the money to have an iPhone because she had to wonder if she could even make the monthly bills. Payson, unlike the three other elites, was perfectly happy as she savored her food.

After the adults all had their food, Maya started to tell them a bit about the mountains when Lauren let out a scream. A fly had landed on her half-eaten sandwich and she jumped up in a panic, flipping her plate over. Absolute terror mixed with rage settled on her face as she yelled, "Agh! I hate it out here! I want to go home…now!" She stomped on the ground like a little kid, wiggling as swatting at flies that did not exist.

Seeing her friend acting so strangely, Kaylie laughed while Emily and Payson stared unashamedly at the display in front of them. Lauren repeated her demand to be taken home and something clicked in Kaylie's demeanor. Kaylie jumped up in a sarcastic anger, "Oh, so the princess snaps her fingers and she gets what she wants? No way! If she goes, I go!" Payson shrugged, now uninterested, went back to eating her sandwich. Emily's face still held a look of shock while the adults looked slightly amused.

Lauren, on the other hand, allowed her frustrations to escalate as she yelled "Princess? Her highness, Kaylie Cruz, is calling me a princess? Ha! I bet you have never had even ever had a want. I bet you've never even gone swimming in a pubic pool!" Ana's eyes gleamed in pure amusement, even though she knew that this fight was going to need to be broken up in just a few more moments. She vowed to enjoy herself while it lasted. The other adults looked at Lauren incredulously, not seeing the relevance of the insult. To be a teenage girl…

Kaylie snorted delicately, "Yes, because you have so swam in a public swimming pool. I know, you do it all the time." Her voice dripped in sarcasm.

Lauren, who really had never swam in a public pool, looked flustered. Just as she was about to find a great retort, Emily interrupted in her usual haughty manner, "I don't see why that matters, it isn't like either of you have ever actually done anything noteworthy or decent in your lives, unlike myself."

With her words, Payson walked over to the wash station that she and Sasha had set up, intent on staying out of this fight. As she walked, she heard both Kaylie and Lauren's voices begin to raise with Emily's voice interrupting. Kaylie had begun to incoherently shout in Spanish while Lauren resorted to insults.

"Oy Vey!" Ana said lightly, turning toward Sasha, "Would you like to do something about this, or shall I?" Summer, again, looked mortified at the girls. Maya was laughing out loud in unvarnished amusement. Sasha and Ana were trying not to laugh at the scene before them. The girls were standing now, screaming unintelligible things at each other. Each of them, frustrated and almost in tears as the fight continued. Sasha made the gesture that says "after you" with a smirk toward Ana. She huffed, a few more seconds and the fight _might_ die out.

Finishing washing her dishes, Payson walked around the group of blabbering teenagers in a large arc. As she passed the center, she scoffed, "And you wonder why – with all this fighting – why we were forced to go on a team-building camping trip. There is no possible explanation." Irony laced her tone as she rolled her eyes. Unfortunately for Payson (or is it unfortunate for Lauren?), Lauren caught Payson's braid as she passed, yanking it back.

That was Ana's queue to break up the fight, before things got too ugly. She started walking toward the hoard of angry teenage girls, motioning to them to calm down. She got there too late. In the time it took her to walk over to the girls, Lauren went to punch Payson. Payson was able to move out of the way as she returned a swift punch that connected with Lauren's jaw.

Lauren staggered back, howling in pain. The other two girls stopped fighting, staring. The adults were suddenly very sullen. Before either girl could react, Ana was standing between them. Her eyes darted furiously from one girl to the other. If looks could kill, they would all be dead…including Sasha Belov. Her features showed the beauty and the rage of the Greek goddess Athena as she prepared for battled against the Trojans. Her icy blue eyes were alive in fury.

In a moment that seemed to last forever, Ana began to speak. Her voice was low, even, and lethal, "I was under the impression that you were all gymnasts, Olympian hopefuls, elite athletes, professionals in a sport that requires discipline, dedication, and teamwork. Here I find you, fighting! Not the professional young ladies I know you should be. Instead, you are acting like a pack of wild dogs. Let me tell you something, you have got to get over yourselves if you ever want to succeed in this sport and in the world!"

Her voice grew quieter, harsher as she continued. Her features began to soften, in spite of her firm tone of voice. "Payson, I know how you got involved in this mess. I understand, but you should have had the self-discipline to say nothing as you passed or at least the self-control not to punch your friend, college, and teammate when she struck at you. Frankly, I am very disappointed in your behavior.

"Lauren, I have no idea what your major problem is."

Before she continued, Lauren interrupted, screaming, "Maybe my major problem is I am stuck out here with all of you!"

Ana's eyes flashed in anger, "You would do well not to interrupt me again, little girl. More, you should watch who you cross. I am your coach. I can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. I thought we would have established that yesterday." Ana sucked in a much needed, deep breath.

Looking around, she saw that the teenagers were still wide eyed. Sasha was smirking obviously. Maya was nodding her head in amusement as Summer was nodding slowly, her face conflicted. She continued after a pause. "As I was saying, I have no idea what your problem is, but it ends now. You have had the assumed attitude of a Martyr when you have caused all of your own problems. You have a wonderful life. You father dotes on you, willing to do anything for you. You have the opportunity to do something hundreds of little can only dream of. You are healthy, well-fed, with no needs. Sure, there might be some things you want. Sure, not everything goes exactly your way, but that doesn't change the fact that you need to be grateful for what you have."

Lauren and Ana stared at each other blankly for several seconds before Ana turned on Kaylie, "The same applies to you, Kaylie. You have no needs. You have a family who loves and sacrifices for you. An ounce of humility, a sliver of gratitude is not going to kill you. Both of you, being spoiled brats gets you nowhere in the real world. Gymnastics is not the real world and frankly, right now, you would both be in a painful state if you were left on your own. Gymnastics, like any sport children play, is supposed to teach you valuable lessons in virtue and character. What has gymnastics taught you?"

With that, Ana turned slowly toward the last girl. She let out a sad, slow sigh as she watched Emily stand up straight in defiance. Ana shook her head in sad and silent desperation, "Oh, Emily, we've already had this conversation. You have had a rough life, while they have been pampered. You are understandably jealous. I get it. That does not mean you have the right to be bitter, Emily. You choose happiness. I mean, look at them! They have everything you want, but they choose to be unhappy. You have worked for everything you have and you choose to be bitter. Please, stop. It makes for a very unattractive person when all you focus on is what you do not have."

Once again, Ana sighed before walking passed the tent, pausing to tell the girls to listen to what Maya had to say. Each of the girls was marginally upset at what was said to her. Summer went to talk to Ana while Sasha sat down opposite of where Kaylie and Payson took a seat. Emily and Lauren both looked empty.

Maya slowly explained the basic safety rules of camping in the beautiful state of Colorado. She explained very simply, but thoroughly each point that she and Ana had discussed days in advance. She finished her talk with, "…now if you have any questions, you may speak to Ana and I. I would also suggest that each of you apologize for your behaviors. Ana has been very excited about planning a camping trip that you will never forget. It is hardly fair that within the first hour you make her regret bringing you here to her solace."

After Maya had finished, Sasha decided to lead the girls in a childish trust exercise while Maya gathered up Ana and Summer.

"Thanks, Summer, I really appreciate your concern and warm words of encouragement. I don't think I have ever been so angry at children before." Ana sighed while Maya came and put an encouraging hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"I know, Ana. You are a very good person who really cares about these girls. They behaved horribly." Summer smiled, before adding, "I was actually really impressed with how well you handled it. I even get a little intimidated by Lauren, and she is practically my daughter."

Ana nodded sadly, but slowly her face regained her happy glow. The three ladies stood and walked slowly back to where Sasha and the girls were having an all-out pine cone war. The rules were three hits and you're out. The teams were broken up differently than would be expected. It seemed as if Payson was on her own team, leaving Lauren with Emily and Sasha with Kaylie. High-pitch squeals were erupting between the teams, with Payson playing sniper in the bushes.

Ana looked at the two women with her and she picked up six pine cones of her own. The other two followed suit. Before long, all the girls but Payson were "out", but they ignored that fact. They tried hard to get the four adults out. With the attention turned between the women and elite girls, Sasha set his sights on getting Payson out.

"No, don't. Please…Sasha!" Payson whispered, looking scared. Sasha threw one lightly at her arm at the same time she threw two very hard at him. He looked at her with a crooked grin and stalked toward her.

"Oh, so I cannot get you out, but you can harm me in the process of getting you out." Sasha stopped inches in front of Payson, whispering the last words sorrowfully. His eyes were sad.

"I so did not hurt you, Coach Belov." Payson sounded very amused. Sasha took another step forward with a smile. Payson jumped back slightly, a scheming glint in her eyes that matched his.

Suddenly Ana's sweet voice chimed through the mountain air, causing Payson and Sasha to jump back from each other. "Hey, everyone, we've played way too much. I have to teach you all about the wonderful flora of the mountains so we can eat dinner!"

Sasha and Payson looked at each other in shock. They both knew what that meant. Once the information soaked in, there would be a mutiny of the girls. What was more, the other adults did not seem shocked or taken back. They were in on it. Because it involved the welfare of the girls, that meant that the parents must have known long before Sasha and Payson knew.

"Wait? What do you mean, Ms. I am a great biologist? What is flora?" Lauren asked, sarcastically.

Payson rolled her eyes, of course the other blonde wouldn't know. "You know, plants and stuff." Kaylie said, sounding unsure. Both Lauren and Emily seemed very confused.

"Yes! I am going to introduce you to any and all edible plants and fungi in these mountains. We have to eat something." Ana smiled.

"What?" The three elites all gasped at once, but Lauren continued, "Absolutely not! I have behaved for the last two hours. Listening to a stupid, common sense safety talk and playing stupid trust exercises. I put my foot down now. I want to go home. I will not eat disgusting dirt you call food. My daddy will be furious that you would subject me to such things!"

Ana held a very amused expression, "Actually, your father knows about this aspect of the trip. It was designed for a threefold purpose. One, to teach you to trust each other. Two, to teach you to trust your coaches. Three, to teach you a few important skills. So, your threats are not a concern." Her voice was sickly sweet.

Lauren huffed as it slowly sank in what her father had set her up for. The other girls seemed to be thinking similar things. Payson nodded slowly as she realized that she actually had known this already. She remembered Ana telling her that after she got her first Biology degree, she and Sasha had gone hiking in the Romanian Mountains with Dmitri. That was, of course, before Dmitri decided that such family outings were inappropriate because Ana knew her father now.

"Now, we all need to learn what Ana has to teach. We will each need to forage for our food." Sasha's voice was firm. He motioned for the girls to sit down. Ana quickly started to set up her posters and flash cards, thinking that she was about to teach the kids how to read, instead of what plants and fungi are good to eat and what is bad. She giggled, amused, before throwing herself into her lesson. She paused slightly every once in a while to allow the girls to process what she had said. Afterwards, they were looking for food in the forest.

A/N: As a Biology student, I have not yet done this yet. I have had friends who have gone camping without any sort of food or drink. It sounds fun. It will be soon for me.

This is part one of the camping trip! Stay tuned for part two (in one week, I promise!)


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Because my younger sister, whom I would like to believe is completely innocent in spite of her age, does read this Fanfic, most scenes are going to be mild and the story will never be bumped up to M. This is a bit early, the chapter practically wrote itself. It is also not at all what I intended originally. I like it better now though. My sister who reads this and I discussed it over a few hours of laundry, dishes, and the like.

"Ana, you know I didn't mean to come across as untrusting, right? And you know why we didn't burn it, right?" Sasha was walking next to his sister as they led the girls to a nice meadow for yet another great trust exercise.

Ana shrugged, "Of course, I know that. I was a bit emotional. You are just looking out for your gymnasts." She turned slightly and caught Payson's eyes. Payson ducked away from Ana's sight. For the last two days, Payson had been avoiding Ana at all cost. Frankly speaking, Ana was worried about the younger blonde.

"I am glad you understand. I kind of wish you and Payson could work everything out. She is going to need a friend." Sasha said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking disturbed.

Ana looked toward the young blonde again, "Eh, I do too, I suppose." She sounded slightly whiny as she said it.

"Oh, stop sulking. You embarrassed her, Ana. She's a teenager." Sasha sighed in annoyance at Ana's bitter sounding attitude. He glanced at her hopefully.

"Oh, yes, because I wouldn't want to ruin the love affair between the teenager and her coach. That would be so awful of me. Please excuse me for my distasteful attitude when you pine after a child when you could have any full grown woman in the world. Mea culpa, Sasha, mea culpa." Ana hissed. She stalked off faster toward her destination. The words stung Sasha, although he had been thinking the same thing. He and Ana had been talking about options over the last few days.

The last two days had been rather interesting. In spite of Ana's talk with the girls on the first day, petty little fights were breaking out. The girls were now taking low shots at each other for various things. Ana and Payson were no longer on speaking terms. Ana's attitude, when not dealing with the teenagers, was poor at best. Summer was desperately trying to make a move on Sasha. Maya found the entire situation very amusing. This camping trip was turning out to be a complete nightmare for the elites and their coaches.

"Summer, could you please explain the game to the kids?" Ana asked and when Summer nodded she continued, "In the meantime, I think I will revert to my pre-evolutionary ways and climb a tree." Summer gasped allowing her jaw to drop. Maya, finding everything amusing apparently, slapped her thigh in good fun. Then Summer looked absolutely mortified when she heard Ana hiss and mutter some such nonsense about being born a monkey would be more satisfactory than dealing with life as a human being.

"I thought Ana was Christian. Shouldn't she believe in Creation?" Summer stammered dumbly toward Sasha, forgetting that he was the wrong person to ask.

Sasha shrugged, watching his sister stalk off in frustration. She didn't climb up the tree, but merely sat beneath it. Her arms crossed and her expression one of pure fury. Summer was still muttering about creationism when the girls finally caught up to the adults. Sasha motioned to the girls, saying, "Summer, I think my sister was joking. Now, I do believe, we have a trust walk to perform." Summer nodded dumbly before turning toward the girls.

"The game we are going to play today involves blindness and sight. You will be given a partner. One of you will be blindfolded and the other will have to guide her partner to safety. The seeing partner cannot touch her blind partner. You also will not be able to say things such as 'left', 'right', 'forward', 'back', 'go', or 'stop.' Once you and your partner each get through the course twice, we will sit and talk about what we learned. After that, we will be looking for more food." Summer smiled.

Kaylie and Payson were paired up, leaving Lauren with Emily. The still sulking Ana was watching the girls' interactions while the other adults seemed to be in a heated debate over the type of trees around the meadow. Ana, if she was in a better mood, would be able to easily identify the plants around her. As it was, though, she could barely see the plants around her.

Sasha seemed to have his eyes and heart torn between his sister and Payson during the conversation. He ignored Summer for the most part, answering her politely when need be. Part of Sasha wondered why both of his favorite women were behaving so oddly, suddenly shuddering at the possibilities.

"You know, you're pretty much pathetic at following simple directions." Lauren's voice sneered at Emily as the other girl stumbled once again, "Both in the gym and in the world." She then turned, uninterested and fixed her pink shirt.

"Yes, because you are just so good at giving directions and following them yourself, slut." Emily said equally as hateful, mimicking her actions on her own blue hoodie.

"Oh, well at least I am not leading on two guys at once. Poor rockstar and pizzaboy." Lauren laughed in false pity.

"No, you'd just sleep with them both." Kaylie broke in. Her voice low and cool. Payson jabbed her in the ribs and gave her a pointed look.

"Ha, like you're any better, Payson. First we thought you didn't have emotion. Then you kissed our coach, but I guess you only have the hots for middle age men, because I have never seen you look at even one guy our age with even a hint of desire." Lauren shot, Payson flinched slightly.

"I can't allow boys to distract me. Gymnastics is all that matters and that is why I will be looking down at you from the gold-medal podium in 2012." Payson said coolly. All three girls barked a laugh.

"Yeah, so not going to happen. I happen to be the National Champion. I will be the all-around gold in 2012." Kaylie said, dusting off her shoulders of the invisible dust. Payson glared, but said nothing. Secretly, she believed that without her accident, she would have won Nationals.

"Ha! Yeah, right. Whateves. You can't beat me on beam. I am not called the 'Queen of the Beam' for nothing. Besides, I have really upped my DOD's, you'll be looking up at me, Princess." Lauren laughed.

"Oh bloody hell, shut up the lot of you." Ana groaned, suddenly falling into a very misused British accent. She got up and glared at the four teens before her. Then, with her normal accent, "This was supposed to work out you issues with each other, not intensify them." She looked as if all she wanted to do was hit her head against the nearest rock and put herself out of this misery.

"Ana is right. You girls have been absolutely horrible to listen to and work with." Maya added. She turned toward Summer with a smile, "Shall we finish this conversation over there to leave the coaches the opportunity to knock the girls' heads together?" Summer's face distorted into something of disgust, but she followed Maya out of the clearing.

"Well, maybe it isn't working because there is a lack of acknowledgement that I am the best gymnast in the country. Better than Kelly Parker, Payson, and Ms.-One-Hit-Wonder-I-Am-The-Great-National-Champ-All-Bow-Before-Me." Lauren said, haughtily, sneering her last words, "I bet I am even better than you have ever been." Her arms crossed and eyes begging for an argument.

The other girls, including Emily, began to protest, but Ana's voice rose above their feeble attempts to defend themselves, "What in the name of the damn Greek bloody goddess Gaia are you playing at? Where is the respect that you should be giving me as an Olympian and your coach? Guess what, challenge accepted. On Monday, we have a mini-meet. You four brats and me. We'll see who is fairest of them all. Go back to camp, we go hiking and food gathering in an hour." The girls stared at Ana's temperamental outburst for a moment before scurrying off toward the camp.

Payson stifled a laugh. She and Ana had watched Snow White the day before the infamous camping trip. That must be where she got the quote from. Payson knew that Ana was still good at Gymnastics, but there was no way the woman could compete against the four teenage girls and win. Between now and Monday, she was sure that Ana would figure something out to trick the girls into her winning. She shrugged and stalked off toward the camp.

Ana watched the girls leave, still too angry to realize what she had just promised the girls. Sasha came up behind her, placing a soft hand on her shoulder and whispered, "How, in the name of your all-powerful God, do you purpose to succeed in Gymnastics against my elite gymnasts?"

Sighing sorrowfully, Ana shrugged, "I'm not really sure, but now that I have challenged them, I have to win against Lauren at the very least." Her voice was low and thoughtful. She added, "Were we that immature?"

Sasha barked a laugh, pulling his sister into a hug. "I was. I am the rebel renegade, remember? You were not, you were super-human and perfect that this age."

Ana hugged him back, "I guess. Hey, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It was wrong of me. If you love the child, I accept that. I love you too much to let her get in the way."

Sasha shrugged, he was still thinking about that himself. "I'm sure you'll make it up to me." He smirked before taking her by the hand and leading her toward the camp. Once he got there, he purposely sat down next to Payson, who was reading a book. Ana sat on his opposite side with a sigh. The other gymnasts were lounging around in the tent with Maya and Summer. It looked like they were discussing boys. Payson did not acknowledge either person's existence beyond inching slightly away from Sasha.

"Is there something I am missing about relationships? I mean, I knew about Lauren sleeping with Kaylie's boyfriend. And I knew about Emily and the rock star, but am I missing something more?" Sasha asked, glancing at each of the blondes sitting next to him in turn.

Ana shrugged, that's about as much as she knew. She was pretty good at investigating, but these girls were also pretty clean compared to what they could be. After all, Lauren was the only sexually active one for sure and the relationship was monogamist with Kaylie's ex-boyfriend. Kaylie had not so much as looked at a boy since she realized she wasn't getting Carter back. Emily had the potential to be sexually active with Damon, but he was gone all the time. That probably wouldn't happen soon. Then there was Payson, who was in love with Sasha and saw no one else as a result. Ana shrugged again, "Nope, that's about it."

Payson, on the other hand, sounding sarcastic, said, "Yes, I eloped with my boyfriend about a week ago." She glanced up for a mere second before settling her eyes back on the page. Sasha whipped his head toward her in shock. What boyfriend? He chided himself internally for the slight pang of jealousy he felt.

She looked up at him as he studied her for a long time. Her gaze was hard, but apparently he saw something in her eyes. He timidly reached up and quickly stroked her cheek, "I heard about that conversation. I am so sorry you have to go through that."

Ana delicately cleared her throat and Sasha's hand dropped. Payson glared toward the other blonde who shrugged, then giggled, "Seriously, Sasha junior? Please, please, please, I beg of you both, do not think to name any of my future nieces or nephews such a thing!" Her voice was strained as she tried to suppress the giggles. Payson blushed as Sasha paled. Ana continued to fight giggles, "Besides, if you were to name the child after Sasha, it would be Alexandru. Come now, show some class! You should name a girl after Mom, Anca Ylenia." Her voice grew serious as she finished talking. She was not feeling very well now and was starting to get frustrated, then her giggles restarted.

"What the hell, Ana?" Payson snapped, after the other blonde continued to fail at controlling her laughter. That effectively stopped it though and Ana raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. Payson ducked behind her book, imagining what Ana was thinking.

After a few moments, Payson asked, "Sasha, how did you know about the party?" He looked at her with a smile.

"I am guessing my 'I am the all-knowing Gymnastics god' answer isn't going to work this time?" Sasha asked, while Ana elbowed him in the ribs. Payson shook her head, smiling at his obvious conceit. He smiled, "Didn't think so. Ana knows how and so does your mom. Why don't you ask them? I don't think I will reveal my own secrets though. You'll just have to wait."

Payson didn't like that idea. "Please tell me?" She batted her eye-lashes.

"No ma'am. Don't try that, you won't win." Sasha said, smirking. Payson briefly thought about asking Ana, but the other blonde seemed to be purposely ignoring her. She was still sitting next to her brother, but she had a faraway expression as if she was in another time and place entirely. Besides, Payson was afraid to apologize to Ana, although she knew she needed to. She couldn't ask Ana such a silly question without apologizing first.

"Fine." Payson huffed, returning to her book. Her expression caused both Ana, who saw it in her peripheral vision, and Sasha to smirk.

They all sat in relative silence for the rest of the allotted break before Maya called out saying that it was time to gather or die. Sasha smirked at Maya's cool attitude. Maya was Native American, but instead of the typical stoic attitude, she was easily amused and very amusing. Sasha and Ana had met the woman three years before when they were on a tour of all the American National parks they could fit into a span of two weeks. Ana was taking a vacation from Graduate School at the time, having just finished her first semester of doctorate studies.

Maya had long, dark hair and brown eyes. Her copper colored skin shone impressively against her dark green shirt and her khaki shorts. Summer and Maya had surprisingly really hit it off during the course of the trip, constantly talking about this or that. This trip had also shown Ana and Sasha a different, more fun loving side of Summer. During their few dates, Summer had been so obsessive over Steve Tanner, that the fun-loving side of her never showed. It was a relief to see.

"When I say so, take Payson to the place I showed you, Sasha." Ana breathed, looking at the younger blonde with sympathy. Then Ana waltzed up to where Summer and Maya were waiting for the girls to gather. Payson and Sasha followed very begrudgingly. Over the last few days they had eaten well, but there is only so much biologist's swamp stew that someone could take. The morning cereal and occasional fruit salad was a welcomed addition. To Sasha's surprise, there actually was plenty of food between what they found and what Ana had requested to be brought.

"Hey, Ana, do you think a treat of pizza is in order for when we get back to Boulder?" Sasha asked, Payson's face visibly brightened. The other girls looked extremely hopeful as well.

"You mean eating like pre-civilization hunter and gathers isn't appealing to you anymore?" Ana giggled before nodding to Sasha's odd request. He was so much of a coach, it was not like him to want to eat something as bad for you as pizza.

"Was it ever appealing?" Lauren moaned as she picked at her nails. Kaylie seemed to nod, agreeing with Lauren. Emily was sulking. Seeing Emily, Payson wondered how Khloe was doing with the job hunt. Hanging out with Brian was actually making Kim very happy. Ana rolled her eyes, causing Payson to laugh and forget about her mother.

"Alright, this way. It is time to pick some mushrooms!" Maya called, leading the group toward a trial to go find food. The girls fell in line after, one by one. Summer and Ana were animatedly talking behind the girls, leaving Payson and Sasha to take up the back.

Over the past few days, not being able to sit or stand too near each other, had caused a sort of tension to take hold between Sasha and Payson. Sasha was able to push it aside, ignoring it. Payson, on the other hand, was being driven mad by this feeling. So much in fact, that to risk detection, she walked close enough to Sasha for the back of her hand to brush against his. It was minimal contact, but it was enough to relieve some of the tension. Sasha smirked at the girl who thought she was being inconspicuous.

Then his face grew serious, remembering the conversations he had with Ana over the last several days. He was not going to like the conversation they were about to have. He decided that it was necessary to define, once and for all, their relationship as coach and athlete. Although he loved the young woman, he knew that he had to set limits and boundaries to their relationship. These boundaries wouldn't change the training schedule he had Payson on. It wouldn't harm the relationship between Ana and the Keeler family. Hopefully, these boundaries would just serve to defuse Payson enough that she could take a good look at what she would be risking to love him. Show her that there are better, younger men for her to love.

Ana turned and nodded toward Sasha with a smile. It was now or never. He gently wrapped his hand around Payson's smaller hand and pulled her gently down a different trail. She gasped lightly in surprise, but said nothing. When they arrived in the pretty little grove that Ana and Sasha had discovered the night before, Payson threw herself in Sasha's arms. She swiftly pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

Like their first kiss, instead of deepening it or simply returning it, Sasha froze. Payson pulled away slowly, hoping that he would realize what she was doing and begin to kiss her back. When he did not, her face slowly fell into a pout. Sasha smirked at her expression, taking her hand and gently pulling her with him to sit on a large rock.

"Payson, we need to talk. I was foolish to let this go on for as long as I have. It isn't a good idea." Sasha breathed, refusing to look in her eyes.

Her voice broke as she said, "I don't care." Her voice was soft as a whisper, as gentle as a caress. She timidly reached up and turned his face toward hers, "Or don't you love me?" She stared into his eyes for a long time, her tear-filled orbs of ocean blue stared longingly into the orbs of the same color. Sasha gently placed a very controlled and chaste kiss on Payson's lips. As he kissed her, she choked a sob, as hot tears began to run down her face.

"I do love you, which is why we have to talk." He breathed, kissing the tip of her nose and then pulling her into a strong hug while burying his nose in her hair. Even though she had not had a proper shower in days, she still smelled delicious and delicate. He held her for a long time, tears flowing down both their faces, before beginning to talk, "Do you remember when I said that if, after the Olympics, I would marry you if you wanted and that would make you happy?" She nodded, tears still spilling as he continued, "I meant every word, Payson. I promise you that if you want me, I am yours after the Olympics. In the meantime, I want you to be a normal teenager, experience the world a little. Be like your friends, go on dates." He let her go, still holding her hand.

Payson laughed, a pained and shuddering sound, "So much for the no dating rule. Wait, you want me to have sex?" Her face held a mocking serious gleam to it.

Sasha shook his head, "No! Absolutely not! I didn't mean date. The dating rule still stands. I mean, befriend persons of the opposite sex and hang out with them in public places. I want you to focus on gymnastics still, of course, but I need any decision you make to be an informed decision. I want you to be sure. Besides, I don't want to be the distraction you mentioned in that spat you had with your friends. I can't do that to you, sweetheart." He seemed flustered, aggravated.

"Why?" She asked, feeling stupid. He wasn't rejecting her, but he wasn't not rejecting her either. When did life become so complicated?

"Because, Payson, it will be a lot easier for me to treat you objectively if I am not your secret lover. It will be a hell of a lot easier to deal with your family and the media attention our relationship will attract if you are a little bit older. Plus, it will be much more satisfying to know you chose me after you could have had any man you wanted worshipping you like a goddess." Sasha said, gently. He had thought about the last part ever since Ana used the same concept against him. He chose Payson, for whatever reason, so he knew the satisfaction which he would experience if she did choose him in a year or two.

He pulled out something from his pocket. "I want you to have this. It isn't a promise to ask you to marry me in the future. It is a promise that I will always love, cherish, and protect you. I will always be there for you. I will make sure you achieve you dream. If, after you achieve your Olympic dreams, you still love me and want me, I promise to become your new dream. I love you, Payson Keeler. So, what do you think?"


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Definitely praying for those in Aurora. Originally, I was going to mention the town here, but thought better of that idea.

I still do not own MIOBI. Dang it!

* * *

Payson felt slightly nervous when she walked up to the Airstream. It was a bright, cheery Sunday afternoon. She had to get some things cleared up with her two coaches not, before Ana and Sasha would be coming over for dinner, as per usual. During the slow, painful steps toward Sasha's recreational vehicle, Payson fretted. She twisted her hands this way and that, feeling the weight of the ring on her finger. The promise ring. The promise ring in which she promised next to nothing while Sasha promised the world and more. Of course, little did Sasha know that Payson was going to regard the ring as so much more important. It was a gift from her coach, after all.

She knocked lightly on the Airstream door, twice. There was no sound. Sighing, she turned to leave. Her temporary bravery had fled her body. Yesterday, when they came home, Payson was conflicted and confused. Ana, who had become her friend, still wasn't really talking to her. She knew she should apologize, but she was afraid. After all, adults did not always take apologies very well. Sasha had placed some pretty strict boundaries on their relationship, which absolutely broke her heart. She understood his position, but it did not make the situation any easier.

"He's at the store, Payson." Ana's voice pulled her from her mindless walking. She looked up slowly as Ana was jogging up. "Or did you need something from me? I don't think you left anything yesterday." Ana looked at Payson with a critical eye.

"No, uh, I don't know." Payson said as she fiddled with her ring. Ana eyed the young girl's hands and smiled, remembering how odd it felt to constantly have the presence of her own wedding ring when she first got it. Back then, before she learned that her husband was not that man she thought he was, the presence of the ring gave her hope. She still wore the ring, in spite of the fact that she was a widow and her husband was never really a husband.

"I think your ring in on the wrong hand, Payson. If you keep it one that hand, people are bound to get suspicious. You aren't orthodox, so the right hand is the hand to wear the ring." Ana chirped, she probably shouldn't have said anything.

Payson immediately fumbled, changing the side in which the ring was. She had worn it to Church today, in front of her family, and they said nothing. They probably did not notice it. "Yeah, Sasha told me to wear it on my right. I forgot."

"Sure, sure." Ana said, rolling her eyes while stretching out. After a few moments she spoke again, "Not that I don't love having you around, do you have something you'd like? It isn't like we're not coming over this evening." She sounded slightly annoyed, but then her face softened. She understood the sense of rejection that was washing through Payson. She had been rejected from her coach in much of the same way Ana had been with her husband. Ana finally smiled at the girl, "If you need to talk, I'm always here."

Payson nodded dumbly, "Can I still go on the runs with you every morning? I mean, it won't be weird, will it?" She looked away as Ana looked up at her. Payson was acting so nervous and shy suddenly.

"Why would it be weird?" Ana asked, confused.

"Well, you know, we're not exactly on speaking terms and Sasha…well, wouldn't that be awkward?" Payson asked, while Ana literally laughed aloud. It was a sound Payson hadn't heard since before the camping trip. All in all, even though it was an utter disaster, the other three gymnasts were actually getting along very well on the way home. So much in fact that they had a sleepover scheduled for tonight at none other than the Kmetkos.

"No, sweetheart, we are adults. Things are only as awkward as we make them. You can still come running with us every morning, same time. We will still work with you in the gym. Nothing has changed beyond a definition in your relationship and based on that ring, I would assume that your relationship has hope for the future. You accepted his terms, obviously."

Payson nodded, she had accepted his terms. She had tried negotiating, which sounded more like pathetic begging in her mind and she was shocked he was willing to look at her as a result, but had failed. Sasha had a firm purpose. Payson had lost. "By the way, mom says you are cooking alone tonight, but I thought I would tell you that Khloe and Brian are going to be over also. I need to go, see you later." Payson ran off before Ana could respond. The older girl chuckled as she went inside the Airstream, thinking about the dinner tonight and the meeting which would take place after the mini meet tomorrow.

Thinking of the competition, Ana groaned out loud, "What am I going to do?" She slumped into the sofa chair, drinking her water.

"You could've behaved like the calm and classy girl that our parents raised you. Then you wouldn't be in this mess." Sasha laughed as he walked in with the milk and salad supplies. He had walked to the market, as he did every Sunday, getting what they might want during the week.

"Did you buy me chocolate?" Ana seemed hopeful. It was a false hope, but hope nonetheless. She stretched her legs again before helping Sasha put the groceries away.

"You don't eat chocolate, Ana." Sasha chuckled, looking at his sister with a small smile.

"I think we need to do something about Kaylie, Sasha. During the trip she barely ate, even the 'normal' food. She's lost some weight; I can see it on her arms and face. She was already in the low area of her target range. I say give it a week, then put the girls on strict high-protein diets. If they do not comply, we confront them." Ana was thinking of the best way to combat a potential eating disorder.

"Actually, I was thinking along those same lines. There is no way her parents will believe that their child has an E.D. Speaking of concern and kids, we're meeting with the Kmetko's tomorrow morning." Sasha stated as he changed his shirt. It was almost time to go. Ana nodded, gathering her things to take a shower.

After showering and getting dressed, Ana and Sasha walked to the Keeler's house. It wasn't too far away and ever since Ana had arrived, they were both more apt to walk instead of drive. They didn't really talk about anything, they just walked.

After arriving, Ana went and started to make dinner while Kim and Sasha sipped on wine. Payson was inconspicuously watching Sasha from behind her book. Becca was playing on their trampoline in the backyard.

"So, from what Payson tells me, you had quite the adventure in the woods." Kim said casually, causing Ana to blush.

"I lost my temper." She muttered. Sasha's statement about her not handling the situation the way their mother had taught them rang through her head.

"She was justified, but I think I would've waited until they were in the gym to unleash my fury. Instead, Ana now has to compete against them. Want to place any bets?" Sasha's eyes gleamed in good humor. Then he added, "As always, my money is on Payson." He smiled in the direction of the girl. She looked up and grinned back.

"I don't think I would bet against Ana. Besides, I am not doing my real routines tomorrow. I'm just going to have fun." Payson said calmly, her voice soft.

"Oh really? That's not like you Payson. I thought my daughter was an all or nothing sort of girl." Kim sounded genuinely surprised. Ana shrugged, she knew she couldn't win tomorrow. Her only hope was to show the girls that they were not untouchable.

"I will still do well, but I don't want even my team to see my routines yet. They are all surprises." She grinned at her two coaches.

"I know what your routines are, Pay! I watched the training cam with you." Becca skipped in and reached for a soda. Sasha looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It is Sunday, I eat and drink whatever I want. It isn't like I am an elite." Her voice was sassy and she ran off with the coke.

"What is her excuse every other day of the week?" Payson muttered. She placed her bookmark in her book. She hadn't read anything yet and the Kmetko's would be over in a few minutes, so she started to set the table. Sasha got up to help her, but Kim protested. After a few minutes, the doorbell rang and Becca let in Brian and Khloe. Emily had stayed home to entertain her guests. When Sasha asked why Payson wasn't attending the sleep over, the girl's answer was about training schedules and lack of sleep. This sleep over could prove to help Ana tomorrow during the afternoon mini-meet.

"Alright, dinner is done. Everyone to the table!" Ana announced triumphantly. Then she started to insist they hurry in every language she knew how. Sasha smirked at his sister while Payson rolled her eyes.

The dinner was actually very pleasant. It was a far cry from the dishes that Ana had originally tried to pass as edible food, but Payson was not in the mood to be social. She washed the dishes, pointedly alone, and then excused herself to go to bed early. As was their custom, Sasha and Ana stayed to watch a movie with the Keelers before heading out. Payson had her volume of her earbuds so loud, she couldn't hear the movie at all.

* * *

The next morning, Payson arrived with her gym bag at five in the morning on the dot in order for their daily run. Ana was already out of the Airstream, doing a yoga sequence. Her fluid motion and focus surprised Payson. Watching the other blonde move in the rising sun was impressive. That is, until she heard banging coming from inside the metal house and some mild cursing.

"Your socks are in the basket. I didn't put them away yet." Ana hummed as if she was meditating and smirked. Then she added, "Payson is here and I would like to run. Ohum…while the sun still shines."

"You are a smart aleck." Sasha chanted back, causing Payson to laugh. She started doing some toe touches, but that was mostly because she felt awkward watching Ana bowing to her in the pose of the child.

"I know I am. I am your younger sister. Ask Payson, if Becca annoys her. It is what we do." Ana continued to chant as Sasha finally emerged from the Airstream.

"Oh, are you finally talking again?" Sasha asked dumbly. At this, Ana stood up too quickly and shot him a sour look. Likewise, Payson stuck out her petite tongue in disdain. "Okay, well, you two had better work out your differences by practice today or I am hosting an intervention. After all, I cannot have my favorite biologist and my star gymnast feuding over Lauren Tanner of all people." He stated as he began to run. Payson put one earbud in and then started running. Ana scoffed before sprinting to catch up with both of them.

Neither thought about Sasha's threat as they ran through the spacious park where they always ran. Both Ana and Payson knew that their stubbornness had gone on long enough. Both of them secretly agreed with Sasha, but they did not want to admit it. Instead, they enjoyed the scenery.

"Alright, ladies, I'm going to run ahead and take my shower before starting on my paperwork since I will be watching a meet this afternoon. The two of you can take your time." Sasha said, running away before Payson and Ana could protest.

They kept running, trying not to talk to or look at each other as they ran. Ana began to hum lightly. Payson recognized the tune, but wasn't quite sure what it was. She decided that she needed to apologize so she could finally talk to Ana.

"Ana?" Payson asked, breathing heavily, and slowing down.

Ana also slowed down, "Yes, Payson?" She started to stop running, reaching for the younger girl.

"Nevermind." Payson said in a hurry and tried to run away. Ana tugged Payson's sleeve, effectively stopping her.

"I'm sorry for my part that I played in our fight and misunderstanding, sweetheart. I was stubborn and disappointed, but not at you and I had no excuse." Ana said quickly. Payson's eyes widened as she heard the adult apologize first.

"I'm sorry too. I knew you were upset at me, but I avoided you and was rude to you in spite of it. I'm sorry. I was upset and hurt." Payson sniffed. Ana pulled the other girl into a hug. She smiled as she pulled away.

"Your ring is still on the wrong finger, Payson. You aren't engaged. Sasha doesn't want people asking you questions you are not prepared to answer." Ana rolled her eyes, seeing the ring nestled on Payson's left hand. The girl huffed, but didn't move it.

"Before we run back, I have two questions for you. What were you humming and how did Sasha find out about the party. It has been killing me to not ask since I found out you know. Mom is acting like she has no idea." Payson whined the last sentence, causing Ana to laugh aloud.

"It must have been terrible." Ana said, sarcastically, before smiling, "Yes, I know. Sasha needs to relay the story, but your parents told him by accident. You can ask Sasha later. I'll make sure he tells you. As for what I am singing, it is from the movie you didn't watch last night. It goes, "_Let's get down to business to defeat the Huns_…" Ana sang it lightly.

"You watched Mulan last night?" Payson smiled. She was curious. Ana was still on her Disney kick, but she had almost watched all of the Keeler's videos and DVDs.

"Yes, it was awesome. Now, we should get back. I have a routine idea." Ana suddenly took off running. As soon as she arrived at the Rock, she and Payson ran to the floor and Ana showed Payson her idea. It was to the Disney song with Martial Arts mixed with graceful gymnastic elements and three powerful tumbling passes during the refrain. She just told Payson the tumbling passes, but showed her the other elements to the routine.

"Absolutely not! I will not allow my star gymnast to do a routine based off a Disney song, Ana!" Sasha suddenly boomed.

"And if I want to?" Payson stated defiantly. Sasha glared. She really liked Ana's idea and it would be par excellent for this afternoon. She didn't want to unveil her real routines yet, so she needed to do something else. The elements of the dance to the routine – including the Martial arts – were not difficult. The tumbling pass would only take a couple of tries to figure out. She would have it club meet ready by this afternoon.

"We could change the music or something. I'm sure it would sound okay to the traditional_ Dragon Dance _music with a few adjustments." Ana snickered at Sasha's look of annoyance at the suggestion.

"Do not get too attached to this routine, it will be only for fun." Sasha conceded suddenly. He must have sensed the pure defiance dancing crossed Ana's soft features.

"So, I am guessing the nunchaku I was going to bring are out of the question?" Ana asked innocently.

"You will not teach my gymnast any such thing!" Sasha turned on his heel and shut the office door.

The girls giggled and Payson went back to work. After an hour, when Kim arrived, Ana excused herself for her shower while telling Payson to shower and change into her leo. Payson laughed when she realized she was still in her sweats.

* * *

"Is Ana in a dress?" Lauren hisses as she caught sight of the older woman helping one of the level nines with sit ups. Hearing her name she looked up and waved. She was in a white, long and flowing dress that made her look radiate but fragile.

"Yes, she is. She wears dresses from time to time. Get to work." Sasha stated, deadpanned. Lauren huffed before walking over to where the elites were warming up. Sasha followed him, eyeing his sister from periodically. She looked slightly ill and sad. Because his mind was elsewhere, Sasha made the workout for the morning harder for the elites than intended. By the time eleven o'clock rolled around, they were exhausted. That was partly from staying up all night. Did they really want Ana to win the meet?

"What are you doing, Ana?" Payson asked. Ana was leaning against the wall, watching the youngest class of tumblers learn how to summersault. Sasha walked up to join them.

"I'm watching the little ones. They are so adorable and they only do gymnastics because they love it. I miss those carefree days." She smiled, then indicating toward one, small black haired girl with green eyes, "She's my favorite to watch."

"She probably won't go the whole way, Ana." Sasha breathed so slightly that Payson could barely hear it.

"That's the point." Ana laughed, "Are we having an early lunch? I want to get this meet over with as soon as possible. Oh, we should perform our lovely duet for them!"

Payson laughed. She knew for sure that she had first place. The other elites were so tired from their sleepover that Ana was for sure in second place.

"Real gymnastics doesn't have duets, Ana. This is a real meet, even if those girls aren't taking it seriously. I'm surprised you aren't practicing." Sasha stated firmly, but not unkind.

Ana shrugged, "Alright, elites, you have a break. Go eat lunch, rest up, and be back by twelve thirty. Emily, I would like a word." She shouted before turning her full attention to the little jade eyed girl in front of her.

Khloe was already sitting in the office. Emily stalked past Ana in anger before going up to the office. Ana followed while holding Sasha's hand. She was smiling lightly, musing aloud at how wonderful learning how to tumble must be.

"Alright, may I ask why I have a meeting today?" Sasha asked as he sat down. Ana was suddenly very interested in the patterns of the desk tops. Emily was glaring at Ana, leaving Khloe to answer.

"Well, we need to discuss Emily. She had, no has, a job." Khloe sputtered.

Sasha's was taken aback. It seemed that his sister knew that Emily was breaking her contract with the NGO. This had very bad potentials. "Is that so? Well, Emily, you are going to have to quit your job." He stated firmly, glancing at his sister briefly.

"I can't. My family needs that money." Emily began to protest. Sasha put up his hand to stop her.

"I don't think you understand. You are currently in violation of your scholarship and contract with the NGO. If they find out, you will have to pay back every cent they have given you. Plus, I am under the impression that your mother has just gotten a rather good secretary job at a doctor's office, is that correct?" He looked up at Khloe for confirmation who nodded her head happily.

"All because you, Ana and Kim are such great friends!" She sang. She was going to make $13.00 an hour for 40 hours a week. In addition, she was eligible for all sorts of financial aid through the college.

"We need that money." Emily continued to protest. Khloe shook her head. She hadn't told Emily this, but besides groceries, the only people they owed for the next six months were Sasha and Ana. They had covered everything from rent to college tuition to cellphones. Ana insisted that Khloe didn't owe them; she owed the scholarship fund with no deadline or due date.

"Emily, you are also in violation of the Rock rules. Sasha is being kind by not suspending you, but you need to allow your mom to work and provide. You have to quit." Ana whispered, looking the girl in the eyes. Then she added, "We know you needed to work, but you don't now. Accept that." Emily sighed, not saying anything.

* * *

"Here's the deal. Each of you will go through each apparatus twice, two routines, except on floor. Ana starting, followed by Payson, Kaylie, Lauren, and Emily. You will immediately have your second run after the first. Then, we will move onto the next apparatus. Order will be vault, bars, beam, and floor. I do not want you to talk to each other unless it is encouragement and you have no coach. Ana, please take the vault."

Ana was dressed in a plain, black leo that had a Romanian flag sewed onto her left hip. She had her long hair pulled into an elaborate braid and bun combination. She walked up to the vault and stared at it. She did a quick and clean Vault handspring forward Yamashita with no frills. Lauren scoffed at the simplicity, "Well, this is going to be easy. She isn't even doing real gymnastics." Payson followed with a Tsukahara stretched with full twist off. Again, Lauren scoffed. Everyone had seen Payson do better. The other three girls followed, with minor flaws but higher DODs.

Ana started the second round with a perfectly executed roundoff, back handspring with half turn entry; front pike somersault with full twist. She smiled when she landed solidly. Lauren, Kaylie, and Emily gasped. Payson simply nodded before doing her own Yurchenko. Lauren stumbled on hers. Kaylie did not finish her twist and Emily did not stick her landing. They were shaken up by the change in their coach's abilities.

On bars and beam, Ana continued to psych the girls out with easy moves and routines before showing off the highest thing she felt comfortable in performing. She landed each one with precision. Everyone but Payson laughed out loud when Ana did a simple cartwheel crossed the beam and did a half twist to land for her first routine. Her second routine was much longer and had a degree of difficulty which rivaled Becca's. It wasn't elite, but it contained no mistakes. Ana, the perfectionist, had no visible mistakes the entire day. Her degree difficulties were low and then medium or high, but they were always performed flawlessly. Payson was obviously in lead, performing strong routines with no mistakes. She kept a modest degree of difficulty, making sure to add flowery artistic moves in the midst of her more powerful moves that Ana had insisted that she could do.

The floor routines were all very good and unique. Ana did hers to the _Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies_. It was more like a ballet than a gymnastic routine only having a long tumbling pass as the music became strained. Payson performed the simple, but unique routine to the Disney song they had thought up that morning. She smiled as she finished with a flying front kick, like Ana showed her. Kaylie's piece was full of cute, showgirl moves, but hardly any powerful gymnastic passes. Lauren's piece was pure 'sizzle' and it made everyone slightly uncomfortable to watch. Emily's routine held a defiance to it that Ana felt was fitting.

All in all, Payson got first place. Lauren and Emily tied for fourth place. Kaylie got second by a fraction of a point. Ana was pleased, she had won against her problem children and had showed each of them that she was a force to be reckoned with.


	15. Chapter 15

As much as I would love to state otherwise, the only thing I own is Ana…shoot! My sister and I thought this up on a three hour car trip. Well, between that and playing the "name that tune" game.

* * *

"I don't know what is up, but I can't seem to do this run anymore. I am winded. We didn't run any more than normal, did we?" Ana asked, placing her hands on her head while she tried to breathe deeply.

"No, maybe you have an allergy to something in bloom." Sasha suggested, noting her labored breathing. Ana shook her head, she had no known allergies.

"Instead of working out right away, why don't we watch the training cam. It'll give you some time to rest, okay?" Payson suggested. Ana nodded before walking slowly into the Rock. Tomorrow was her second interview at the research hub. On Monday she had exerted herself a bit too much. Perhaps it was nerves and tiredness that caused this sudden change in running ability.

* * *

It was now the Saturday after the mini-competition and the four elites were excitedly talking while Summer and Sasha were taking care of last minute logistics so Summer couldn't get them lost. The parents were happily letting their girls go to Denver as moral support for Ana's second interview. They thought it was a little strange that Sasha and Ana would invite the girls, but the girls seemed to want to go. Ana was humming "A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down" from Mary Poppins.

"That song is quite appropriate, you know." Emily smirked, hearing Ana.

Ana raised an eyebrow, "Oh, is it?"

Emily, in a horrible butchering of a British accent, said, "Yes, because you are practically perfect in every way."

"Except one." Sasha sang, before returning to the map. Ana laughed, smiling at Emily.

They loaded into their respective vehicles. Emily, Lauren, and Kaylie loaded into Summer's car. While Payson climbed into the vehicle with Ana and Sasha. Summer's car was going to stop at the supermarket on the way out of town to get food, while Ana was going directly to her interview. They were going to meet up later at an unknown location for some fun.

Ana was still humming, leaving Payson and Sasha with bemused expressions. Ana had insisted that she sit in the back seat, saying that she needed the room to get into her "zone" for the interview. She looked very nice in her pink oxford shirt, grey pencil skirt with a slightly ruffled edge in back, and white lab coat. She had a string of pearls gracing her neck and her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight, sophisticated bun. She also had black heels on her feet and a matching black purse. For the first time that Payson had seen her, Ana was wearing makeup. She looked very classy and professional.

Everyone else in the group was wearing what could be considered play or street clothes. They each wore jeans, sneakers, and tee shirts. A far cry from what Ana was wearing. In Ana's backpack, she had similar attire. Ana crossed her feet at the ankle and laid her head against the back of the chair. They would be there soon, it was only a twenty-five minute drive.

"You know, I think we should probably up my training schedule if I am going to get onto the World's team." Payson started.

Sasha sighed, reaching to hold her hand, "You have two weeks, Pay. You'll be fine. Can we talk about something not gymnastics?"

"Oh, so something not my life?" Payson smiled.

"No, something that is your life, but not gymnastics." Sasha countered, adding, "Tell me about Minnesota or something."

"It's cold. It's green. It has lots of lakes? What's to know?" Payson rolled her eyes.

"Romanian has mountains. It is cold too, but is very beautiful. Colorado sometimes reminds me of Romanian, especially last week when we were camping. Ana would insist we go camping every year for her birthday. When she became a biologist, all she wanted to do was study fungi. That and tell stupid jokes about biology." Sasha smiled.

"Hey now! I am hilarious." Ana piped. Her eyes were still closed, but now her arms were crossed.

"Sure you are. I thought you were ignoring us to get into the zone." Sasha rolled his eyes.

"I am. I just have to defend my honor." Ana grumbled, placing her hands on her lap carefully.

"Tell me a joke then, oh hilarious one." Payson smirked.

"Why doesn't Sasha since he apparently knows all my stupid jokes." Ana quipped. She started fiddling with the zipper on her purse. She wasn't really nervous, but at the same time she was. It was an odd combination.

Sasha barked a laugh, but Payson answered, "I am sure you tell them much better."

"Alright, just one though. What do you call biochemicals that wash up on the shore?" Her voice was steady, unamused.

"Hmm…beats me." Sasha said sarcastically. He knew this one. It just labeled his sister as a nerd.

"Stop being a brat." Payson grinned at him before answering Ana with a 'what?'

"Nucleotides." Ana smiled when she heard Payson laugh aloud.

"You thought that was funny, love?" Sasha asked. Not only was his sister a nerd, so was Payson. Sure, she was intelligent. Her grades showed that. This was pushing it over the top.

"Yes, it was very funny." Payson smiled, "You didn't think so?"

"I've heard it too many times to think it was funny, sorry."

They continued to talk and laugh. Ana tried to return to her zone, but she kept coming back out to defend her honor for one thing or another. Finally she gave up when they began a "name that tune" competition. Before long, they arrived and Ana fixed her skirt. She walked into the building with confidence.

While Ana was in her interview, Summer and the three girls arrived at the research hub. Upon arrival, Kaylie flung herself from the car and kissed the ground, exclaiming her surprise at still being alive. Payson laughed at her dramatic friend while Summer huffed. She handed Sasha the receipt from her shopping trip and Sasha pulled out his wallet to reimburse her. When he opened his wallet, Payson noticed he had a lot of money on him. She briefly wondered what they would be doing in Denver.

Before long, a very happy Ana emerged from the building. She was singing "I Stand Alone" from Quest of Camelot. Except, she had changed the words to the refrain slightly. She was singing, _"Like every biologist stands near a tree, reaching for the fungi, I stand alone. I share my world with a diverse biosphere. All by myself, I'll find the cure!"_

"I am guessing that your interview went well." Kaylie stated, assessing the bubbly blonde.

"Interview? Oh, that is just a formality. I already have the job." Ana twirled, causing Lauren to laugh.

"Then why do you have one more interview?" Payson asked, smiling. Ana was acting like her younger sister. In many ways, Ana acted as young as the girls she coached. She had had a difficult life, yet she remained undaunted by it. She was a happy girl.

"First was breakfast, now is lunch, next we have to have dinner, obviously. Besides, more formalities." Ana sang.

"You already had lunch?" Sasha shouted, "Well that ruins our plans." Causing the girls to all protest saying they were still starving.

"No, it doesn't. I've still starving. That burger just wasn't enough to fill me up." Ana smiled, pulling out her bag. She was going to change while she was here.

"Burger! But we aren't allowed to eat that!" A choir of voices chimed.

"No, no, no. You aren't allowed to eat them. I am the coach; I am allowed to eat whatever I want. I never claimed to lead by example." Ana answered, running back toward the building. Payson smirked at her friend's expressions.

After a few minutes, Ana emerged from the building. She still wore her oxford shirt, but she had jeans and tennis shoes on. "I grabbed your shirt, Sasha." She said, throwing it at him.

"I was looking for this! This is what happens when you let women do your laundry." Sasha said in mock horror.

"As opposed to having all your dirty clothes in piles and piles of laundry? Admit it, I am a God-sent." Ana smirked.

"I have a system. Needs to be washed. Very dirty. Slightly less dirty. Worn once. Clean." Sasha protested, causing the girls to giggle.

"Whatever you say, Belov. I'm still not wearing that shirt. I guess I'm stunk in this one." Ana smiled as she placed her bag in her car, "Let's go to this place already. I want to have some fun."

"No, don't make us get in the car. We almost died like fifteen times!" Lauren whined.

"Stop being melodramatic, Lauren." Summer scoffed, "I happen to be an excellent driver." Kaylie looked at Summer like she grew another head. Emily shrugged. No one was a worse driver than Khloe Kmetko, so Summer's driving skills weren't that horrible. Plus, the girls were over exaggerating. It was not Summer's fault that the Semi she was next to kept swerving.

"Can't you drive us, Ana?" Kaylie smiled prettily.

"I think you would all die of heart attacks if you had double-oh-seven drive. Plus, she doesn't know where we are going yet." Sasha stated, seeing Ana's face he added, "Not that Ana is a bad driver, she is actually very good. She is just very intense." Ana nodded, pleased. She was a good driver. She just liked having fun at her passenger's expense at times. She was always completely in control of her car. Her only regret was that she did not owe a V12 Vanquish.

Kaylie and Lauren sighed in defeat as they climbed into Summer's car. Emily smiled, joining them. Summer huffed, before checking with Sasha where they were going and getting into the car. After about thirty minutes they arrived at their location. It appeared to be a large, blue warehouse type building. They had lunch in a grassy patch near where they parked. Each of them was chatting excitedly.

Ana noticed that Kaylie did not touch her food. She mentioned to Kaylie that importance of a high protein diet, but she said nothing.

"Why are you still wearing your pearls?" Lauren asked, eyeing Ana's neck.

"It pulls together the entire outfit. I have to wear them." Ana answered, before turning on Sasha, "Where are we, exactly?"

"At an indoor ice rink, I figured the girls would like skating." He smiled as he watched fear flash before her eyes. Then she visibly calmed.

"It is the middle of the summer. There will be no ice." She smiled at her victory. She felt very clever.

"That's why it is indoors. They have ice all year round. So, we can go ice skating." He smirked. She paled.

"Ice skating?" She squeaked. He nodded, before pulling her up. They began to walk into the building, Sasha practically dragging his sister behind him.

Ana had an irrational fear of ice skating. When she was five years old, she loved to go skating on the pond near their house. Every day she could convince her parents and Sasha to go, they went. She was actually really good at it too. She was a natural athlete. One day when she was twirling and showing off, the ice cracked. Dmitri was able to save her from falling through, but she never went skating again.

"So, the great Ana does have a weakness." Lauren seethed, with a laugh.

Ana did the very mature thing of sticking her tongue out at the teenager. They all got in line to rent skates, except Ana. She very stubbornly sat down.

"And I need a woman's size six and a half, I think." Sasha stated. He pulled out his wallet to pay for the skates and admission.

"No, absolutely not." Ana cried as she stood up and jumped away from Sasha.

"Oh, come on, Ana!" Sasha complained, "You seriously need to get over this."

"Fine, but I do not like this. You are a horrible human being, Alexandru Belov!"

Ana put on the skates, but she would not allow herself to go out onto the ice. She watched the girls, Summer, and Sasha glide across the ice. Twice Sasha made her join him on the ice, but both times she only lasted one lap before cowering back to the side lines. Lauren was making snide comments every time she passed the blonde woman. Finally Ana had enough of the girl's sass, "Oh, Lauren, you have a _Parasteatoda tepidariorum _on your shoulder."

"A what?" Lauren asked, rolling her eyes.

"A common house spider, Lauren. I thought everyone knew that name." Ana smiled as Lauren reacted. She screamed and batted the spider away. She jumped and fell on her bottom on the ice. Ana laughed out loud at the display. She knew that Lauren wouldn't know the name. She simply saw the opportunity and took it.

"Alright, I think we have tortured Ana enough. Next stop, laser tag!" Sasha called, pulling Lauren up.

"Yes!" Ana cried a little too excitedly. All of the girls and Summer stared at the excited girl. "Are we playing capture the flag?"

"Of course." He said as he led them to another part of the same building. Ana was practically jumping for joy as he paid for the game and they were dressed in their gear. She insisted, after much protesting, that they play where the vest give a slight electric shock when you are shot at. Payson, Summer, and Sasha shrugged, but the other thee were nervous about the whole affair. They were afraid it would hurt too much.

Before long, they were all geared up to play capture the flag. They stayed on the same teams that they rode with, so Payson was with the Romanian siblings and Summer had the other three teenagers. Ana was very excited, too excited. She had her team huddle for a team strategy meeting.

"Alright, Payson, I will make sure that you make it. I'll be your cover, sweetheart." Sasha breathed as they were in their huddle.

"I am Belov, Sasha Belov." Sasha said, putting his hand out.

"I am Keeler, Payson Keeler!" Payson placed her hand on Sasha's.

"And I am Kreanga, the great Ana Kreanga!" Her hand went on top, before all three cheered.

"Alright, let's go!" Ana shouted. She smiled manically. She started running toward the combat zone. The girls started after her, but Ana was quick. She ducked and weaved, easily taking out the other girls. Sasha and Payson played more of a team.

The two Romanians siblings took the game way too seriously. The game was slightly violent and each of the gymnasts used their skills to their advantage. Poor Summer was the only one left out. She would scream every time she was shot and grumble when she had to run back to base to reset. She should have insisted on a no gymnastics rule.

At one point in time, they had a mob hangout with all the girls pointing their guns at each other in a circle. Girls on the same team were threatening themselves, as well as others. Sasha whispered to Payson, "Break away, I'll cover you." Payson nodded, falling behind a barrel. Sasha shot at all three girls before ducking behind a half wall. There he encountered Summer who begged him not to shoot her. He did anyways, smiling and laughing evilly.

Before long he came up alongside of Payson, "I think I can do that." She said, motioning to the flag in the center. The girls were hiding near it, but they were slightly afraid of the trio.

"No, Payson, it is too dangerous." Sasha whispered back, getting caught in the intense moment of the game.

"Cover me." She kissed his cheek quickly, then she ran. It was dark enough that she was certain no one would see her when she kissed him. Besides, she could be sharing an idea for capturing the flag. They would have no proof.

She got Lauren, but fell. Emily stood up and aimed her gun at Payson. "No!" Sasha shouted as he came up behind her, but Payson was shot.

Sasha shot Kaylie and Emily, turning to pick up Payson. He placed her in the fireman's hold and started to run toward the flag. "Boy, they are playing seriously." Emily groaned. Lauren and Kaylie laughed.

Suddenly, Ana ran passed him, "You always were a slow poke when you were weighed down by the baggage you picked up. You should've just left her." She smirked. He thought bout answering something sappy about never leaving the love of his life, but considering who was around him, he stopped himself. Normally he would have done so in Romanian, but Payson was getting good at picking out words she knew and that would lead to blush on her delicate cheeks, giving him away.

"Just get the flag, Ana." Sasha snapped, putting Payson down. She smoothed her shirt as she watched Ana perform all sorts of ridiculous moves as she ran toward the flag.

Ana shouted joyously as she grabbed the flag. She smiled. "I have won for all time; you will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!"

"Are you seriously quoting the cartoon you and Becca watch on Saturdays?" Payson laughed.

"It is not a cartoon, it is an American Anime!" Ana quipped.

"Isn't that like the same thing?" Lauren rolled her eyes.

"No, of course not!" Ana stated, then she added, "Ha! I claim this flag for the greater glory of the country of Romania!"

"What?" Payson and Sasha yelled, "That is not the name we agreed on!"

"Oh, forgot to tell you, I am a double agent. My loyalty is to the great country of Romania!" Ana said, twirling the flag.

Lauren said something that sounded like she knew something was wrong with Ana. Payson smiled, "So it has come to this, has it?"

"Give me the flag, Ana." Sasha said, reaching for it. Ana kicked Sasha's gun away from him.

"I challenge you both to an Agni Kai, Payson and Sasha, for the claim of the flag and in order to defend the honor of my homeland." Ana thrust the flag at Summer who took it dumbly. The girls looked at Ana like she was insane.

"But we're not firebenders!" They both chimed.

"You watch cartoons too?" Lauren laughed out loud. Kaylie giggled.

"With my sister!" Payson answered quickly.

Ana smirked, "Lo you're banished. Li, you can stay." She said pointing to Sasha and then Payson.

"But I am Li, then who is banished?" Sasha laughed, looking at Payson. Payson shrugged.

"Enough!" Ana said as she flew toward Sasha with a flying front kick. He was barely able to get out of her way before she kicked him.

"Bloody hell, Ana, what was that for?" Sasha asked, as he blocked a punch she threw.

"Payback, buddy. Someone made me go skating." She smirked, throwing another punch.

"Okay, you won! Stop hitting me." Sasha tried to stop her attack. Payson fell in laughter.

"I think we should go get dinner and head home." Payson smiled once she caught her breath.

They all agreed and Ana finally put the flag down. They decided to walk to the Greek restaurant next door. Sasha smirked as the girls got excited when he told them they could eat whatever they wanted, but the smirk went away when Kaylie only ordered a salad. They had had a long, tiring day. He was able to coax her into eating some of the calamari that they ordered as an appetizer. Payson got her to eat a few pieces of her meat, but beyond that Kaylie only ate her salad. Everyone else had full meals with Italian soda or Greek Mountain Tea. They also all had baklava, except for Kaylie. Ana tried hard to convince her, but failed.

Sasha enjoyed the meal wholeheartedly. The company, the food, and Ana's stupid jokes made the night very enjoyable. He kept stealing glances at Payson as inconspicuously as possible. She was beautiful. The bill was a bit more than he had anticipated, but he still had the money for it anyways. He paid the bill and they all started toward the vehicles.

Ana grabbed Sasha's car keys and headed toward the car, claiming that she felt like being 007 on the way home. It was just too bad Sasha's car wasn't cool. Sasha and Payson snuggled in the back seat, talking about the day and enjoying each other's company. It wasn't long though that Payson fell asleep against Sasha's chest. He kissed her softly and breathed in her scent.

"I think there is a general little sister rule against having to witness public displays of affection. Besides, I thought you two were taking a temporary, get her to the Olympics, break." Ana remarked softly, as not to awaken the girl.

"Yes, well, I got carried away. I've missed this." He kissed her temple.

"Be careful, Belov, I think you may have fallen in love." She smiled sadly at her brother through the rearview mirror.

"Too late, cerb mici. Sunt în dragoste cu fata asta. O iubesc mai mult decât viaţa însăşi." Sasha answered, cuddling her toward himself. They spent the rest of the car ride in relative silence. He carried Payson and placed her on her bed when they dropped her off. Mrs. Keeler thanked them for briging her home and tried to give Sasha some money to cover food or entertainment, but he refused. Then they went home.

* * *

"Mrs. Keeler, please extend our apologies to your entire family, but I am afraid Ana and I will not be able to come over today. She is apparently ill. She didn't even drag me to Mass this morning, which is not her normal Sunday behavior. She is still sleeping and Ana is always up before noon. Please, forgive us our absence and pray for her." Sasha left the message on the Keeler's answering machine.

Ana wasn't feeling well, but Sasha welcomed the nice change of pace. He had a lot of things to get done and, although he loved going over to the Keeler's house and he tolerated going to Mass, he couldn't do them on Sundays anymore when he had those obligations to attend to. Besides, he needed some time to think alone about his mistake last night. Surely Payson would not easily want to go back to the strict rules after that.


	16. Chapter 16

As if it were not obvious, I still do not own Make it or Break it. We are almost caught up to my original story idea! I came up with this story walking to and from work during the Spring Semester.

* * *

_Is Ana feeling better? _It was almost five in the morning and Payson really wanted to go for a run with Ana and Sasha. She had actually missed them on Sunday. Ana was still feeling poorly on Monday morning, so Sasha had canceled the run and Payson's private workout session. Payson had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday in Colorado Springs, so she did not see either of them at all that day. Now, it was Wednesday and she really wanted to see and run with her coaches. She felt lazy for her lack of workout over the past few days. She got ready while she waited impatiently for Sasha's return text. She had briefly thought about texting Ana too, but decided against it just in case she was still feeling bad.

_Yes. We can run today. _That was all Payson needed in reply before she shouldered her gym bag and walked out the front door. At first, Kim would see her off for her morning runs to remind her to behave like a professional and to be safe, but now she didn't do or say anything. Most mornings, Kim was still fast asleep when Payson left. Not that that was a bad thing. It just was.

After a few moments, Payson's phone buzzed again. She looked at the screen and smiled. The text was from Ana. _You'll have to let me know about your doctor's appointment when you get here. _

"Hey girlie! I thought you'd never come." Ana called out to Payson when the younger girl neared the Airstream. Payson put down her bag and began to stretch as Ana continued, "So, this was a regular health screening in addition to a sports physical and a back checkup, right? Sasha said you're good to go?"

Payson laughed at Ana's concerned tone of voice, "Yes. I am cleared for another six months for my back and a year for the sport's physical."

"Did you not believe me, cerb mici?" Sasha laughed as he joined the two girls.

He started to run, as per usual. He always started running first unless Payson was being feisty. He barely got three steps in before Payson pulled at his shirt, "What does that mean?"

Ana laughed at Sasha's face when he registered what Payson was asking. He quickly composed himself, the name was enduring. It wasn't as if she had asked what some of the other things he said meant. Then again, he was pretty sure that Ana had been giving Payson Romanian lessons, because he knew she knew more than what she let on. Suddenly he smirked, "What makes you think I will teach you my native tongue so you can spy on private conversations?"

Payson batted her eyes prettily, "They aren't private when they are about me. Besides, I just what to know what _cerb mici _means. I am not asking you to teach me Romanian. Yet." Ana laughed. Payson would eventually get whatever her heart desired from Sasha so long as she had patience.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you, Pay. Don't think I didn't see you out with that boy last week at the drive-in diner." He answered her, causing Payson to flush. Ana took that as her cue to take off running before she ended up in the middle of a stubborn lover's spat.

"Hey! I was just hanging out with someone of the opposite sex in a public place." She tried to defend herself, remembering his stupid conditions and limitations to their relationship that he set on the camping trip. She had gone out on a double date with Heather. Heather had begged her to come along as a girl version of a 'wingman' for propriety's sake and Payson had agreed. All in all, they had a fun night.

"Public being the operative word, little deer, that was semi-private." He smirked, knowing that she wouldn't realize that he had just given her what she wanted to know in the first place.

"Oh, well, I will be sure that next time I go through with your ignoramus suggestions, I meet the boy somewhere that you can spy in peace. How is the Airstream for you? Will that work into your schedule of stalking me?" Payson knew she was being irrational, but she couldn't understand his problem. First, he tells her she needs to hang out with boys, now he says she should not. Besides, when did he start stalking her?

Sasha laughed aloud, "I was not stalking you! Ana and I were going out for something you are not allowed to eat and we happened to see you at the drive-in diner. As for where you can go out on those ridiculous things you call dates, I could really care less so long as it is not semi-private. Cars are semi-private. Movies are semi-private. Most restaurants are semi-private. And no, you may not invade my home on a date. Well, if you want me to scare the living daylights out of the guy, I suppose you could."

"Why exactly can I not go out on a real, traditional date? It isn't like we're together. Plus, no one else obeys the no dating rule." Payson now had tears free falling down her face. She started to run, but Sasha easily caught up to her.

"You know why, dragă. I'm sorry I am making your life confusing and difficult. Maybe I should make it easier for you." He said, expiated. Payson stopped running suddenly and threw herself into Sasha's arms. She knew exactly what he meant.

"No, don't you ever do that."

After the run, Payson and Sasha kissed in the med room before Payson started working out with Ana. Although it wasn't spoken, they both knew that his rules were now obsolete.

After an hour of practice, Ana went to freshen up for when the other elites arrived. Recently she had been warming up the elites and then helping the tumbling class. Payson skirted over to where Sasha was doing paperwork. "So, Ana told me to ask the whole story as to how my parents told you about the party." She kissed him on the cheek before sitting on the edge of his chair.

Sasha glanced up from his paperwork at her, "You probably shouldn't sit so close, love, Summer will be here momentarily." As if she was waiting for her cue, Summer walked into the gym and Payson flew away from Sasha.

"Anyways, because I am afraid of what you'll do to get the information, I had been reviewing your medical file. I called your house to talk to you about your back, but your parents told me you had gone to a party. They were so excited to hear that you were going to an illegal high school party, that they didn't realize what they had done by telling me." Sasha said nonchalantly, finishing as Summer walked in.

"Oh, I see." Payson smirked. Sasha rolled his eyes.

"You should get back out there. Practice your beam routine before the others get here. I'll be out to watch in a few moments." He said before turning his attention to Summer, "Good morning, Summer, I trust you are doing well today?" Summer nodded, noting that Sasha watched Payson as she left.

Sasha lasted only until Kim arrived in the office before he went out onto the floor to watch Payson. Summer was watching the way they were interacting. Something about how they moved around each other really irked her. He touched her with reverence every time he had to adjust her and she looked at him with adoration.

"Do you think there is something going on between them?" Summer asked Kim suddenly. Kim looked up to see her daughter's entire face light up as she gave Sasha a hug after sticking her landing.

"Besides from the obvious facts, those being that they work very hard for her to prepare for the Olympics. Yes, I think so. I think they are good friends." Kim smiled. She knew that Payson loved Sasha, that was obvious. She had an aching suspicion that Sasha loved her daughter as well. She was okay with that though because Sasha had proved himself as gentleman. Eventually, both of them would grow out of this stage. Or they wouldn't. At least if it was that latter, she had years before she had to worry about it. Her daughter was determined to win as many medals as possible.

Still watching the interactions, Summer asked, "And you're okay with this? I mean, isn't Sasha like ten years older than her?"

"Eleven, actually, but it doesn't matter because they are just friends. Besides I trust them. My daughter has a good head on her shoulders and Sasha is a honorable man." Kim pulled herself away from staring at the two young people working in the gym. She was briefly upset at Summer's condemning tone of voice. It wasn't as if she hadn't noticed her daughter's admiration for her coach, but recently both Ana and Sasha had become close family friends. More so, she knew her daughter. She knew her daughter would never do anything to compromise her chance at the Olympics. She wouldn't even accept a broken back as a good excuse, for heaven's sake.

Ana walked into the office just then and sensing the tense atmosphere she smiled. She followed Summer's line of vision and sighed, "He is so good with them. I never thought he would be a good coach, but he is."

Summer turned and looked at the Romanian girl, "Why didn't you think so?"

Ana laughed, "Because Sasha has always been meu renegat, my renegade." She sighed again, admiring how good her sibling and the object of his affections looked together.

"He doesn't seem too close with her to you?" Kim sighed when she heard Summer start up again. Kim internally cursed Summer and her meddling.

Ana shrugged, "No. You have to remember, Sasha and I are European. We are very demonstrative, if you haven't noticed."

She then sighed a breath of relief as she watched her elites walk into the gym and toward the locker room. It was show time. On Monday, while she was feeling sick, Sasha had introduced the girls to their new diet plan. Kaylie and her parents complained that it was ridiculous. Payson shrugged, she ate like that anyways. Emily and Lauren whined. Ana knew that they wouldn't really be eating like that.

"Very good, cerb mici! I'm impressed. Now, go get ready for Ana's next planned torture. I'll evaluate your vault later, okay?" Sasha smiled as Ana walked up to where He and Payson were talking. Payson was near perfection, there was no way the NGO could in all honesty keep her off the World's Team. With trials in only a week and a half, Sasha had decided to evaluate her routines every day while Ana drilled the finer elements into her.

"Cerb mici! Wait, I know what that means! You, you're such a brat! Little deer! We didn't have to fight." Payson's realization made Sasha laugh. Her hands were on her hips and her face held a look of disbelieving.

"But then we would have never come to the understanding that you aren't allowed to date." Sasha breathed, his voice was so soft that Payson wasn't sure if she heard it right. She sighed in frustrations and abruptly sat down. Sasha took that as an opportunity to touch her, "You're right, it is time for sit-ups."

Ana laughed at the sight before her. Payson was doing sit-ups very unwillingly while Sasha held down her feet with a childish grin on his face. Before long she shooed him away so Payson could work out with her friends.

* * *

"Well, Mr. Cruz, I am afraid that because you are not listening to me, Kaylie's coach who knows her better than anyone else, I am going to insist that after world trials, she go to a doctor. It is time for her checkup and sport's physical anyways. The NGO has a form that will need to be filled out and the Rock has a more extensive form." Sasha listened as Mr. Cruz told him he was being ridiculous. Kaylie was within her target weight range and she did not have some sort of eating disorder.

Still listening to Alex Cruz, Sasha smirked as Payson floated into the room. She sat on his desk, rather close to him, but he ignored her presence beyond a tight smile. Finally, he was able to speak again, "Ana has seen the subtle changes too. Take a good look at your daughter, she has lost weight in her face and arms. I am afraid she is losing muscle mass. Besides, a sport's physical is necessary for her to continue to compete in this sport." Alex tried to say something else, but Sasha cut him off, "Mr. Cruz, my decision is final. Your daughter will be going to the doctor within the week after World trials or I will have Ana hunt down one of her medical doctor associates to do the physicals. I suggest you make an appointment or your daughter is on hiatus for competition. Have a nice day."

It was now six in the evening and everyone had already left the gym. Ana insisted that she and Mrs. Keeler go shopping for some new kitchen supplies for the Keeler family in payment for the cooking lessons. Summer had gone home at four-thirty, as usual. So, the only other person in the building was Payson. Sighing, and not at all thinking at how inappropriate it would be, Sasha placed his head on her lap. Talking to Alex Cruz was a punishment that he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. What was worse, next he had to call Alex's only rival and insist that Lauren goes to the doctor. He had to be fair and the physicals were due.

He smiled when he felt Payson play with his hair. He left his head where it was and dialed the next number. It wasn't until Mr. Tanner answered the phone did he sit up. He repeated his message to both Mr. Tanner and Mrs. Kmetko. Both took the news better than Mr. Cruz. "Do I need a physical, Sasha?" Payson's voice was playful.

He grumbled something about getting physical, then saying, "No, you are the only person who regularly updates hers. I am not sure if it is the back or just who you are, but I have enough doctor's notes to last a lifetime."

"I think it is my mom. The other girls do not give you monthly progress reports and sample work for school." Payson smirked. Sasha nodded. Kim did give him an awful lot of information to cover all of her basis.

"Yeah, well, how else would I know how intelligent you were?" Sasha said softly, taking her hand to kiss it sweetly.

"If you need my progress reports to know that, I am lacking." Payson rolled her eyes. She jumped off the desk and smiled at Sasha, "Where are you feeding me tonight?"

Sasha laughed at her hint at wanting a date, but knew that was a bad idea. Dinner and a movie at her own home wouldn't seem so suspicious though, "I was thinking Casa del Keeler." This made Payson laugh and she agreed that leftovers and a movie would be great. Of course, so would an ice bath after Ana's torturous workout, so she wasn't sure if it was her heart or her other muscles which were talking.

The night was nice. Payson and Sasha spent some innocent, quality time together and with Becca watching cartoons. Well, they were mostly watching the "American Anime" that Ana loved so much. Surprisingly, Becca had cooked, so they ate rice salad. It wasn't bad, Becca had some potential as a cook in her future. They also played the spelling game where the next person has to spell a word that begins with the last letter of the previous word. Becca got caught trying to make up words several times, but they didn't disqualify her.

When Kim and Ana got to the house, Becca had fallen asleep on the couch while Payson and Sasha were playing five-card cribbage. Sasha helped bring in the shopping acquisitions while Payson picked up the dining room. Sasha's presence did not surprise Kim in the least. After they had discovered each of the new cooking tools and some other things, Payson excused herself for bed. Kim called after her saying that she had a history test the next day. This caused Payson to curse out loud because she hung out with Sasha instead of studying. Sasha smirked as he carried Becca to her room and placed her in her bed. He would have to insist that Payson study instead of work out in the morning.

"Don't stay up too late, Pay. You can study while Ana and I finish the World's applications for you girls." Sasha said, pausing next to her door.

"Yeah, yeah." Payson waved him off, looking over her history notes.

"I meant to ask, why do you have a poster of me on your wall?" He said, motioning to the picture.

"To remind me of my two greatest goals. The goals I made when I watched you win your gold medals." Payson answered, seriously. Sasha smirked, even at such a young age, the girl had been keeping up with gymnastics. He briefly wondered if she watched him during the Olympics.

"Those are?" He prompted, causing Payson to blush deeply.

"I wanted to get more golds than you and I wanted you to be my coach." She smiled. He nodded. It looked like she might get her dream come true. Something about her answer made him think she wasn't being completely honest though.

"Is that all?" He grinned.

"Maybe, maybe not." Was her only answer.

"Go to sleep. Maybe if you pass your text with flying colors, I can be persuaded to help you acquire a better picture than that ridiculous poster." This made Payson beam. She said something about not dissing her poster, but he knew she would be taking him up on the offer of getting a new picture. He then realized, it was dangerous for him to make promises to Payson. She would ensure that he provide whatever he promised.

* * *

It was a week after World Trials and all three girls had finally given their physical information to Sasha. Ana and Sasha had decided to go through the paperwork after their morning run. Payson was sitting on the couch, reading a book. All four girls had done very well and were now on the World's team. Payson had done extraordinarily. She was the essence of perfection in all her routines. Because she was a unique case, however, she was barely voted on. This angered Sasha a bit, but he was just glad she had gotten on.

"Look at this, Ana." Sasha said, pointing to the weight on Kaylie's paper. The girl, who was supposed to weight between 95 and 110 pounds, only weighed 89 pounds. That was six pounds lower than her suggested minimum. Ana nodded, both their suspicions had been confirmed.

"So, what are you going to tell the Cruz family? Will Kay have to go to rehab?" Payson didn't look up from her book as she asked.

"You aren't supposed to be in here, Payson. I am not discussing your teammates with you." Sasha snapped. He didn't know what he was going to do.

"Fine, fine. I'll leave then. I'll be sitting on the stairs if you need me." She smiled, getting up.

"Because sitting right outside the door solves everything, Payson." Sasha sighed.

She sat down, leaving the door open, "I would call her doctor and ask his opinion."

"His opinion, if you must know, oh nosy one, is that she not be cleared for gymnastics until she has gained some weight. He referred her to a 12-step program, so she can still condition, and weekly meetings with a psychiatrist. I would have just sent her to a rehabitation center." Sasha said, then added, "From the looks of these reports, you are my only elite for a minimum of two weeks. Now, shut the door." Payson complied.

"Sasha, Lauren was referred to a cardiopulmonary specialist. She has an irregular heart rhythm. She cannot be cleared until he sees her. Other than that, she is healthy." Ana placed the folder in front of Sasha, pointing to the EKG.

"Do the parents know?" She asked, not sure how it worked here.

"Yes, they should know. Hopefully, they have started the process of getting their girls healthy. Oh my God!" Sasha dropped the folder he was looking at. He couldn't figure out why Emily had not been cleared for gymnastics at first. Everything looked normal.

Ana whipped her head over and looked at what Sasha was pointing at. She looked at the red words in horror, "She just ruined her gymnastics career forever." She mumbled.

"Not necessarily." Sasha countered, knowing full well that his sister would not agree. She had very strong opinions.

"A spontaneous abortion is very unlikely, Sasha." Ana breathed, "Look, I know it is her decision and I understand your perspective, but it is a life. A life that grows and thrives. I love you, but I hope she chooses to let the life live."

"I know and frankly, I don't know what to think." He sat down with his head in his hands. Ana picked up and rearranged the files. Payson came in the next moment and placed her arms around Sasha. He lifted himself up and pulled her into a tight, loving embrace. He just held her for several moments, not moving. She was the only reason he was even coaching here. Yes, the other girls were definitely what made him come, but Payson made him stay.

After several moments, he let out a long and shaky breath, "Why don't you go work with Ana on bars. I have a few phone calls to make before my other gymnasts arrive. When the first one arrives, send her up here, please?" He ended his request with a soft kiss. She responded meekly after he released her, squeezing his hand.

They had been working on her bars routine for about forty minutes when Kaylie walked through the doors. She was all smiles, her victory and being ranked number one on the World's team made her very pleased.

"Sasha wants to see you in his office, Kay." Ana called out, glancing at the small girl once before turning back to Payson. Normally by now, Payson would be stretching, waiting for her teammates to arrive and Ana would be changing into her coaching attire. Today, however, was ominously different. Kaylie nodded before walking up to the office, shutting the door behind her. After a few moments, she walked out with tears in her eyes.

"He won't let me practice until I've gained weight." She explained herself, adding, "He says I can do light conditioning and that I am to following the diet you gave me." Ana nodded while Payson jumped down and pulled her friend into a hug.

Lauren walked in next, coming over to where the two girls were hugging. She wasn't in gym clothes. She was in a mini skirt and a very flattering top. Her hair was down and she had makeup on.

"I have an appointment with a cardiac specialist tomorrow. I won't see you until Thursday, then I'll be back on beam where I belong." She said simply before giving them a hug. She walked up to where Sasha was and gave him a hug too. Their exchange was short, but it seemed to make them both feel better.

When Emily walked in, she pointedly ignored Sasha and Ana's prompts to go talk to him. Payson tried, but Emily ignored her too. Payson and Kaylie decided to go have a protein shake in order to stay out of the adults' way. After the shake, Kaylie needed to go home so that she could get ahold of the people her doctor suggested she call. She didn't think it was all that serious, but Sasha wouldn't let her practice until she was complicate.

Emily was stretching when Sasha finally approached her, "I need to talk to you, Emily. In your condition, I cannot allow you to be working out in this gym for liability purposes."

Emily rolled her eyes, "What condition?"

"You know very well what I am talking about. What do you plan on doing about it?"

"I don't know coach, but I am sure you have an opinion about it." Emily snapped.

"Actually, I have no opinion, Emily. This is entirely your decision. I have to ask what made you put yourself in this position though. There are rules for a reason, this, Emily, is that reason. Did you have to break every rule I have made?" Sasha snapped, turning to leave.

"I needed control over something!" Emily shouted back.

"Well, it is good to know that you have control now." Sasha said very quietly, and then walked quickly out of the gym.

He stayed away from the gym all day, ignoring everyone's questions and concern. Before long, Payson came and sat next to him. He didn't say anything and neither did she. They just sat together in peaceful companionship for several minutes before she spoke, "When I broke my back, I was so angry at everyone. I had lost all control and no one believed in me or my chance at recovery. I lost all control of everything."

Sasha sighed and tensed for a second before making himself relax. "I know, Pay. I'm sorry." Sasha said, pulling her into a hug.

"You were there for me when my world fell apart. Can I be there for you?" Payson asked sweetly. With these words, he kissed her. It was a confusing, conflicted, and angry kiss. It wasn't reassuring, it was dominating. Frankly, the kiss scared her. As soon and as abruptly as it began, he pulled away. He turned away from her.

"That wasn't an answer." She reached for his face, cupping his cheek. Instead of replying, he kissed her nose and then stood up and walked away.


	17. Chapter 17

_I do not own MIOBI. We are now caught up. I wouldn't get used to quick updates. This story is about five chapters away from being done.  
_

* * *

Sasha had been distant for the rest of the week that he found out his gymnasts all had to be out for some reason or another, except Payson. Lauren had been referred to a more experience cardiologist that specialized with athletes. As far as the other cardiologist could tell, she was born with this condition and it wasn't life threatening. It hadn't been bothering her, yet he was hesitant to clear her. Irregular heart rhythms could become life threatening in a moment.

Emily was still indecisive regarding her pregnancy. She had admitted it was a stupid thing to do, having unprotected. She claimed it was her last attempt at controlling her life after her mother got a job. She was doing light conditioning, as Ana suggested. Ana and Sasha disagreed in opinion on what she should do privately, but they would never coerce her one way or the other. In fact, they outright refused to counsel the girl. They simply offered her their loving support.

Summer had told Sasha off when he admitted that he didn't really want Emily to choose to keep the baby. He talked to Ana about it, who said she understood where he was coming from and wished that there was another option. An option that didn't involve ending a dream or ending a life. Ana was much more diplomatic in regards to her morals, as well as more convincing in argument.

Kaylie had been making a real attempt at following her diet plan, but was struggling to do so. She cried every time she weighed herself, which had been twice already. She made sure to drink a protein shake with Payson every day on their break. Sasha had bought the girls different flavors and lots of fruit so they could make the shakes more bearable. Payson and Kaylie ate lunch together. Kaylie couldn't believe she had actually developed an eating disorder. She was not very willing to admit it either.

It had been a week since Sasha had read the results of the doctors' appointments. He had been distracted and Payson was getting worried about him. She was afraid he was going to do something incredibly stupid, but she didn't know what. It wasn't something she knew was going to happen, just a feeling.

Frankly speaking, Sasha's heart ached for each of his gymnasts. For Lauren because, although she did not show it, she was terrified of what this heart condition could possibly mean not only in gymnastics, but in her life. For Emily because in her quest for defiant control, she had lost all control and had thrown away her chance at achieving her dreams of being an Olympian. As much as Sasha wanted to ignore it, if she chose her dream over her pregnancy, she would be throwing away her first child. For Kaylie because she was incapable of handling her stress effectively and had defaulted to starving herself. For Payson because she was confused and vying for the heart of someone she could not have and he was letting her think she could. For Payson, he wanted to be hers, but now was not the right time.

Sasha was miserable, thinking that the only thing he was doing was hurting them. He had been avoiding everyone, including his sister.

Payson was pondering how she could pull him out of his depression while she walked to the Airstream for their morning run. When she arrived, she noticed that Ana was slumped, exhausted, against the door. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were puffy.

"Where is Sasha?" Payson demanded of Ana when she found the teary eyed girl. Ana wasn't crying, she just looked very sad and empty.

It had been a little over three months since Ana first arrived and she had fallen in love with her life in America. She had had her second interview and was going to arrange for her things to be brought over from Spain. She was fairly certain the hub would recommend her transfer, hiring her for sure with the next interview. At the current moment, she was still living with Sasha, but was looking for an apartment or small house so she wouldn't crowd the Airstream with all her stuff. She also wanted to be able to set up her at-home lab so she didn't have to rent a room or take over the Rock annex. Today, besides house hunting, she, Payson, Kim, and Becca were going to look for a car, preferably a hybrid, so she could easily get back and forth from Denver.

Every morning at this time, Payson would come to the Airstream and the three of them would take a run. Ana and Payson would work out, and then Sasha would work with Payson on her Floor while Ana prepared the day's "events" also known as a gymnast's torture. Following that, the other girls would arrive and they would perform any conditioning Ana had planned. After which, they worked on the various apparatuses. Each of the girls admired Ana and were happy with the way she and Sasha worked together, even if they had interesting ways to show it. Ana loved her new life.

Kaylie and Lauren had found solace in Ana. She talked to them and helped them through their fears and concerns. She showed them loving support and steadfastness. Even though neither of them were allowed to do more than very basic and light conditioning, they came at the same time every morning. After they completed their conditioning, they would talk to Ana. She was a very positive influence and they felt comfortable with her because of the rapport she had already established. Emily was less willing to talk to Ana, feeling that the Romanian girl was judging her. In reality, Ana was not, but Emily assumed the worse. Ana simply made herself available for when Emily needed to talk.

"Where is he?" Payson asked again, pulling Ana from her ponderings of the last few days.

"He left…I don't know where he went." Ana stammered. Then she held out her keys to Payson, saying "He asked me to tell you that there is a letter for you in the office. He asked me to be your coach until he comes back. I told him that you'd be devastated…I don't understand. He is on a leave of absence for an unknown period of time."

Payson took the keys, tears welling in her eyes. She _was _heartbroken, she felt like a weight was crushed to her chest. The Rock was only partially functioning today and tomorrow because Ana had her last interview and a doctor's appointment tomorrow to establish care. The other coaches would teach the younger classes, but the elites and junior elites had the two days off.

Sasha had disappeared. She was angry, but mostly hurt.

Ana's mind was far away. Then she added, "He isn't answering his cell phone." Payson nodded, and then walked into the Rock.

_Where are you?_ She texted him without hope of a return. Why would he return her texts if he was ignoring his sister's phone calls? She opened the door to the office and turned on the light. The office was clean and tidy with only one envelope on the desk. Payson sat down in his chair, crying and staring at the letter. She wanted to hurt something or someone. Why? Why had this all happened? She broke down, falling to her knees, in sobs. He left her. He didn't even tell her goodbye. He had promised to never leave her, to never give up on her, after she broke her back. Now, he was gone.

On impulse she pulled off the promise ring he had given her and threw it across the room, then snatched up the letter and ripped it open. She read the letter, getting more and more sad at the sweet contents. Her actions were suddenly very clear and she regretted flinging the ring, even if she was incredibly angry at him now. She started sobbing again, trying to re-read the contents of the letter.

"I love you, too." She whispered, folding the letter. Suddenly, she was frantically looking for the ring, but it was nowhere to be found. It must have bounced behind something. She looked for it until Ana came to get her.

"But, I lost my ring! He gave it to me and I lost it." She cried when Ana was pulling her away from the room.

"I know, sweetheart, but you've been looking for it for a while now. It'll come up. I'll look for it. Let's go for a walk." Ana smiled when Payson nodded. Ana looked better now. She had showered and she didn't look so tired.

"Well, I guess I have inherited a huge mess. I mean, between the girls and the paperwork. He will be back though. I know it." Ana said, mostly to herself. Instead of running, the girls walked their normal path.

"Can I ask you a question?" Payson ventured after several minutes of silence.

"Sure, sweetheart, you can ask me anything." Ana smiled. She was feeling better now that her endorphins had kicked in. While Payson was weeping in the office, Ana was beating up a punching bag in anger.

She couldn't believe he would leave her. She was having slight abandonment issues. Her husband had jumped in front of a bus to get away from her. Now, because things were going south, Sasha just left? Her? Alone? She knew that she was being far too critical of her brother, but she couldn't help it.

Payson seemed to be hesitant to ask, but finally she spoke softly, "Why were, are, you so supportive of my relationship with Sasha?"

That caused Ana to stumble slightly, "I am not as supportive as you think, Payson." She sucked in a pained breath before stealing a glance at Payson, "I hated it that my brother is in love with a child, but he is. When I first got here, we would fight every night over you. I was even jealous of you and your relationship with him. One minute he thought he should leave because he couldn't control himself. The next, he wanted to propose to you. The next he was going to wait." Ana paused thoughtfully. Her brother was truly ridiculous when it came to the young blonde. Payson was quiet, sad.

Sucking in another much needed breath, Ana continued, "Through it all, it wasn't what he wanted that won, it was what was best for you. I realized that he loved you, really loved you. I marveled at that. He had the chance with so many women, I don't even want to count. Yet, never did he love them." Payson let out a squeak. Sure, she knew that Sasha had dated – and most likely had sex with – other women, but she didn't want to think about it. Thankfully, Ana did not pursue that part of the conversation, just leaving it.

"So, I realized something more, when I wasn't bugging him he was able to act appropriately, he did and he was happy." She paused, "Who am I to judge? I love seeing him happy. The look of pure adoration on his face when he watched you, as if you were the most precious thing in the world was very enduring."

Payson smiled. She always felt loved when Sasha looked at her. Having Ana mention it made her feel better, but just briefly.

"Then, I got to know you better. He made you happy, too. You both have the other's interests at heart. So, if someday I call you my sister, I will be willing to do so. I love you. I adore your family. I want you to be happy." Ana finished, smiling.

"That, that is a lot to take in. It makes sense, actually. Thank you for telling me." Payson said, sadly. She knew that Ana was being honest. After another moment, Payson hugged Ana, "I want you to be happy too. It'll be okay. We'll get through this together. We should get back so we can go lab, I mean house, hunting!"

Ana smiled. Payson was a sweet girl. She knew that Sasha would be back. There was no way that he would stay gone from Payson for too long. "Hey, can I go with you tomorrow, Ana?"

"I don't see why not. If it is okay with your mother, I would be happy to have the company. Of course, you are going to be incredibly bored. Like, super bored." Ana smiled.

"I'll bring a book. I know the drill. I've seen plenty of doctors." Payson laughed.

They ran back to the Keeler house, deciding to have Kim drop back at the Rock to pick up Ana's purse and other stuff she needed. "Hey girls. Are you ready to find a car and a house, Ana?"

"Yes, ma'am, I am very excited." Ana smiled when they arrived at the Keeler house. It was now about eight o'clock in the morning.

"Where is Sasha? I assumed he would want to be in on this." Kim asked, causing her daughter's eyes to well up in tears.

"Sasha has decided to take a leave of absence until further notice. I figure he will be back when all his gymnasts are able to work out again. In the meantime, he asked that I coach Payson." Ana answered, a tight smile graced her face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Kim said, gathering both her daughter and the blonde woman in her arms for a hug.

"It is okay, mom, he will be back." Payson tried to smile, then she added, "Let's find Ana her house and car!"

"Yeah! Let's go, baby!" Becca cheered as she dashed toward the Keeler's car.

After all day of looking and goofing off, Ana had found a small, two bedroom house on a lease-to-own deal that she really liked. It was close enough to the Rock and the Keeler's to walk. It was also relatively close to the market. She also found a sleek, black car that she liked with excellent gas millage. During the course of the day, she and Payson really cheered up. Kim and Becca tried hard to keep their minds from her brother.

* * *

"I really wish you would've answered your damn phone. I just want to let you know that Ana is moving into a small house and will be parking your Airstream there. We're in Denver, she's at her doctor's appointment. She is super nervous. Too bad you weren't here, she could use your support. Anyways, although I hate you right now, I love you. I miss you, Alexandru Belov. Consider calling me back? Or dropping a postcard in the mail? Something to tell me you didn't off yourself." Payson was sitting cross-legged in one of the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room.

Kim thought it was an excellent idea for Payson to go to Denver with Ana. Kim had said that she was really nervous that Ana would take her brother's absence personally, assuming that she was the cause. Kim had mentioned that Ana was a very strong person, but she was in a new place alone. She needed her friends.

Payson had brought a book with her, but she had not yet touched it. Ana had been in the back for an hour now. Payson listened to music some, but then she decided to call Sasha. She wanted to hear his voice. She knew he wouldn't pick up. She wasn't intending to actually leave him a message, but she did. She was actually very proud of herself. This was the first time she called him and she only texted him once, yesterday.

Payson picked up her book and began to read. She allowed herself to become immersed in it. Soon she heard Ana, "Are you sure? I won't have my insurance stuff figured out for a few weeks at least and I do have the money to pay now."

"Yes, ma'am. We've worked with your insurance company. It is easier to wait than to figure out how to reimburse you later." The receptionist said.

"I think my co-pay should be like twenty-five dollars, can I at least pay that?" Ana insisted.

"Um, yes, that should be fine. You can pay the blood work fee too, so your total will be forty-five dollars. We will bill you if you need to pay more." The receptionist finally conceded to Ana's prompting.

Ana wrote the check and smiled, "Can you give me directions to the lab. I am obviously not from here and the hospital is huge!" She motioned to the gigantic building across the street.

"Sure, go through the front doors and take your first left. It will be the second enclave on the right. Thank you, ma'am."

"Let's go, Payson." Ana smiled. They walked across the street, shutting off their cell phones once they got to the door. The magnetic nature of the equipment in hospitals drains cell phone batteries and Ana forgot to bring her car charger.

"Well, I am about to become a pincushion. Are you afraid of needles, or do you want to wait with me?" Ana asked.

"I fear nothing." Payson smiled. Ana simply laughed.

Ana arrived to the lab and handed the doctor's order to the lab tech. They were placed in a room.

"So, have you requested your things?" Payson asked, knowing that Ana had made her final decision to move.

"Yes. When they arrive, you'll get to meet two of my former gymnasts and their mom, as well as my closest friend and colleague from Barcelona. A week after that, my daddy and Dmitri are coming to visit with one of my childhood friends." Ana smiled, she was obviously very excited.

"I can't wait!" Payson giggled.

"Neither can I. Maybe that idiot brother of mine will come back with dad. I bet he went home. Regardless, it will be a treat to see my family and friends. I haven't seen them in forever!"

"How was the doctor's appointment?"

Ana frowned, "He wants me to gain some weight and he is taking some blood samples to make sure I am still in remission. I told him I was just retested six months ago, but he insisted. Other than that, fine. I guess I will be joining Kaylie in her quest to eat healthy. I thought I was healthy."

Payson smiled, then she frowned, "Would you be able to coach Emily if she chose to abort the baby? Or would you refuse due to religious principals?"

Ana looked thoughtful for several moments. She started very slowly, "I would not be pleased if Emily aborted the baby for gymnastics and it would be very hard for me to separate my morals from being her coach, but I think I would be able to. I pray every day that I am not put in that position. Abortions affect the mother emotionally. She will regret it later if she aborts the baby."

Then she smiled, "Don't have sex before you are ready to accept all of the possible consequences, okay?"

"I won't. Besides, the only one I am interested in having sex with is currently missing in action." Payson flushed as she said it.

Ana simply laughed nervously, "Awkward." Payson nodded and Ana added, "Baby steps, please. I just got used to the idea of him loving you."

Thankfully the phlebotomist walked in just then and started to entertain the girls, taking an obscene amount of blood from Ana. She commented on how nice it was that her sister would be so kind to hold her hand when she had her checkup and blood draw. Payson and Ana just smiled, not wanting to correct her. Ana looked at the vials of blood with disdain. In all, the phlebotomist had taken about a unit of blood from Ana. Most of it was just in case they had to run extra tests. Some of it was required for her job and some just for the standard tests.

"Oh, I feel like I'm going to faint. You are driving, Pay. To the nearest place that sells peanut butter, bread, root beer, and candy!" Ana said, adding, "We need to change somewhere too."

Payson drove to a Walmart so they could get the much needed items and change. They were going to meet Ana's future boss and supervisor at a nice French restaurant at six for dinner. Ana had called the day before to make sure Payson could come along. Both girls had similar black dresses. Ana had done their hair and makeup before leaving Boulder. Ana looked great in her white tee shirt and jeans with her elegant updo, but Payson was pretty sure she looked like a nerd in hers. Right now, though, Ana just looked sick.

Ana handed Payson some money and asked her to run and get the needed items, apologizing for not going in with her. Payson ran to get everything and was back in the car within ten minutes.

"Why are you eating this?" Payson asked, watching Ana make herself a sandwich.

"The candy and soda increase blood sugar, the simple carbs and the protein in the whole wheat peanut butter sandwich will stabilize it. Trust me, it works. I've had to go through this before." Ana smiled sadly, remembering the last time she felt so crumby.

Payson watched Ana eat, feeling bad for the sick girl. Then she decided to turn back on her phone to make sure her mom hadn't tried to call her or something ridiculous like that. Turning it on, she felt a pang of sadness when she didn't have any messages from Sasha.

"Let's get dressed. I prefer to make it to my interview on time." Ana smiled, grabbing her clothes.

Ana looked gorgeous in her dress. Payson felt plain next to the perfect blonde, even though they wore very similar looks. The restaurant was very nice and the two gentlemen that Ana was meeting were very kind. For the second time that day, people had assumed that Ana and Payson were sisters. This time, however, Ana corrected them. She said Payson was a very good friend who came with her as moral support for the doctor's appointment.

She told them about her medical background then, causing the men to ask more questions. They told her that she would not be able to work at the bench if her disease returned. Ana assured them that she knew this already and would be a valuable asset to the company here in America even if she could not be directly involved in the research portion of the job. They smiled and said that they had already decided to suggest her transfer. They also offered her a consulting liaison position between the company and the Air Force. Ana told the she would have to think about it because she did not know much about American military or politics.

After all was said and done, the night went very well. Ana got along with her future boss and supervisor well and Payson enjoyed herself. Ana drank several glasses of water and excused herself from drinking any alcoholic beverages by saying she was extremely dehydrated. The technical and biological talk went over Payson's head, but she caught onto all of the jokes. The older of the two gentlemen tried to talk Payson into joining the biological career field, saying that they needed some more young blondes to show the world the intelligence of the fairer sex. Payson laughed aloud at his attempts. The drive home was happy and cheerful.

One she got home and Ana left, Payson went directly to her room, looking forward to embracing her bed. Kim and Becca were already asleep and, as usual, Mark was out of town. Payson quickly changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth before walking to her bed. She stopped when she noticed something at the foot of her bed. On it was a package.

She opened it immediately, revealing a dainty picture frame with a picture of Sasha and Ana as teenagers holding up their medals from a local meet. They were in matching gym warm ups. Ana was shorter and thinner, but still gorgeous in the picture. Sasha looked almost exactly the same, like a Greek god.

A note with Sasha's careful writing fell out. She read the note dated for a week ago slowly, as tears fell down her face:

"Payson, In spite of my better judgment, I promised you that I would get you a better picture than that bloody, posed poster. This was taken when I was sixteen and Ana was fifteen. We had just won the All-arounds at an international meet in Warsaw. I picked this picture because I was the same age here as you were when I met you, but, unlike you, I was a renegade. I love you, Miss Keeler. Always yours, Sasha Belov."

"I love you, too, but then why did you leave me?" She whispered.

He had known he was going to leave her a week ago. That was the only explanation Payson could come up with as to why he had written a note and why he shipped the package. She stashed the note with her letter under her mattress and placed the picture next to his medal and the poster. She wasn't about to take down the poster though.

Realizing that her phone was turned off since dinner, and because it was her alarm clock, Payson turned back on her phone. She was disappointed again that she had no messages from Sasha. It was irrational, but she had hoped. She was so worried about him.

Sighing, Payson closed her eyes and fell asleep. It was fitful rest, so when her phone beeped once at three-thirty in the morning, she instantly heard it. She opened the new message. _I didn't off myself, love. I am not telling you where I am. God knows what you'd do with that information. Please, it is better if we don't talk for a while. _

Not skipping a beat, she called him. She really hoped that because he texted her, he would answer his phone this time. Unfortunately, he sent her to voicemail after two rings. Frustrated she cried, "Dammit, Sasha, you will be the death of me. Would you just answer the bloody phone already? I know you ignored my call. I am not stupid!" She hung up and started to cry. She cried herself to sleep.

* * *

"So, I talked to my brother last night, well this morning at 4:30 a.m., for the first time. I think he accidently answered the phone instead of sending me to voicemail like normal. He sounded confused when he realized he was talking to me." Ana said as she and Payson were doing crunches. It was midmorning and they were in the Annex, so Ana decided to breech the topic gently.

"Did he tell you where he is?" Payson jumped at the information.

"No, but I know. I checked my cell phone history this morning. He was calling from Romania. Probably is in the town where mother was buried, I would assume. He mentioned her a lot." She smiled sadly.

"Did he mention me?" Payson asked meekly after several seconds.

"Of course, but I told him I wasn't his messenger boy so he would have to call you. Sorry, but I am not sharing his message. I may have threatened him a few times, so hopefully he will call you." Ana looked at the younger girl with sympathy. Payson only nodded, too confused to say anything.

"Is he coming back?" She asked, sadly.

"He said no. We shall see, won't we?" Ana said grimly, before muttering something in Romanian. Payson recognized two curse words and the word "brother", so she assumed she was cursing Sasha for some reason or another.

"I tried to call him last night, but he sent me to voicemail. When I see him next, I don't know if I will slap him or kiss him." Payson's voice was low, angry.

"I'd beat him within an inch of his life, if I were you. Then, you can kiss him all you want as he recovers." Ana laughed.

"Somehow, I don't think that'll work the way you think it will." Payson joined in her laughter.

* * *

_I was listening to Evanescence…that's my excuse. (I don't usually listen to them…too hard for my taste). For some reason, I like that Sasha left. To me, it shows how much the girls' trouble affected him. So, although my story is otherwise AU, I do have him disappear for a short period of time._


	18. Chapter 18

_I just took my last final for the Summer Session, so here is an update. Later on this month, I might be going on a daytrip to an old, abandoned, "haunted" sanitarium and mill pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I am a skeptic, but the others want to go ghost hunting, so I said "what the heck! I'll go." My friends are viewing this in a "YOLO" fashion, but I'm going purely for entertainment purposes. Never underestimate the power of suggestion, they are going to scare themselves. College students, myself included, have the potential to be really stupid at times. I will be attending this trip at the chagrin of my sister, poor thing. Anyways, I thought I would warn you. I don't think it will affect this story (unless I become possessed ::laughs manically::), but you might want to be on a look out for a "creepy" one-shot following the trip (dates still TBD). _

_I do not own MIOBI and won't anytime soon, as unfortunate as that is. This is kind of a fast paced chapter, sorry._

* * *

"Wow, so this is the infamous Rock! I cannot wait to practice here! Madrina!" Squealed a voice with a thick Spanish accent. Another, quieter voice chirped an affirmation. Two small voices were chattering up a storm as they got closer and closer to the gym floor. The two girls were former gymnasts of Ana. They were sisters with long, black hair and sparkling green eyes. They both had smooth, olive skin. They were slight in statue, but held themselves with confidence that only children have.

"My girls are here!" Ana cheered as she turned away from Payson and Kaylie. Emily, who was still undecided, was doing light conditioning with Lauren, who had been temporarily cleared, in the corner. Kaylie and Payson were doing sit ups. It was again a Monday morning and Ana was determined to make the best of it. She had promised Sasha to take care of his girls until he returned. Recently she had been feeling tired and she had lost her appetite, but she attributed that to the depression she was battling. She knew it was very irrational, but part of her still felt abandoned. The more sensible part of her realized that Sasha needed a break – a breath – and he would be back. Still, she hoped that with the arrival of her friends from Spain, she would be able to start feeling better.

"Over here, ladies!" Ana called, waving her hands above her head as if she were in a huge crowd. She was beaming in happiness, a stark contrast from her recent sullen mood. The two girls ran forward while the two older women simply quickened their pace. They were all waving and smiling.

The Rock elites gathered around Ana, waiting for introductions. "Adele! You've grown taller! How did that happen?" She messed with the girl's dark hair.

"Papa's genes, I suppose." The young girl answered, shrugging while her companions laughed. The little girl made a slight face. After all, her height was not what she wanted to talk about. She wanted to talk about meeting the famous athletes at the Rock and possibly showing off her new floor routine. This trip, although to visit her beloved godmother, was like a dream come true to the children. They had followed Payson Keeler, the girl who broke her back and still returned to the sport, since they heard their madrina's brother was her coach. She had become something of an idol for them. Being able to meet her, show off for her, and train in her gym was the greatest honor they could imagine.

"How are you, Neitalina? Adelita? How was the flight?"

"It was long, profesoară naşă." Neita answered, "Mama and Reyna talked like the entire way."

"Oh, we did not." Reyna answered, "Ana, I am so glad to see you. Spain is not the same without your presence." The brown eyed girl looked a lot like the other three women, but she was taller and not as thin. The two girls were dressed in yoga pants and tee shirts, while the two adults wore cotton dresses.

Ana flushed, smiling, "Girls, I want you to meet two of my former gymnasts, a friend, and the girls' Madre. This is Neitalina, Adelita, their mother, Margarita, and my friend, Reyna." Her Spanish accent was suddenly very pronounces as she pointed to each person. "My friends, these are my elites here in the states, Payson, Kaylie, Emily, and Lauren." She motioned to each one in turn.

Quickly the girls shook hands and mingled for a few moments. Ana spoke to Reyna and Margarita for several minutes, grabbing one or the other girl suddenly, pulling her into a hug. The girls protested in giggles, giving their madrina a kiss and then turning back to the gymnasts.

"Now, Neita, Adele, do you want to practice? Or are you too tired?" Ana mocked, leaving Reyna and Margarita to entertain themselves. The adult women went to sit with the other parents in the viewing area.

When the young tumblers came in for their class, Ana pulled Neita away and introduced her to the young girl who she had been admiring the day of the mini-meet. Neita was excited to meet the little jade-eyed girl and showed off for her. The little girl smiled and exclaimed that they were now best friends, trying to show off for the older girl in return.

The girls proved to be very good gymnasts and very bubbly in personality. They did not question why Payson was the only one allowed on the apparatuses out of the Rock elite girls. They were very obedient and willing to do anything that Ana told them without questioning it. They were nine and thirteen, which made them too young to be a threat to the Rock elites, causing Payson to warm up to them almost immediately. That and the fact that they seemed to absolutely follow her everywhere!

The routine ended up being that Ana spent the mornings with Margarita and Reyna while Payson entertained the monkeys, or rather the two little girls. Then, mid-morning, they would all go to gym practice. In the late afternoons, Ana and her guests would do something else while Payson would either do schoolwork or hang out with her teammates.

After practice, or rather during a break, on Thursday, Payson had to ask Ana a question that bugged her from the first day they arrived, "Are you really their godmother, Ana?"

Ana smiled, "Yes, I am."

"Aren't they a little old, though? I mean, you did not move to Spain until like seven years ago." Payson stated, unsure of her dates. She was slightly sketchy on Ana's life between her developing leukemia and when she came to the Rock.

"I have known their mother since Reyna and I were very young. We were pen pals and I would visit. Margarita asked me to be Adele's godmother and then Neita's when she was born. I write to them almost weekly. I taught them gymnastics and I taught them many things about life. They are my little girls." She smiled, remembering the good times they had together.

"Did you go to their baptisms? I mean, you were still an active gymnast." Payson was merely curious.

Ana smiled, "Unfortunately not. They had a proxy stand in for me. It was probably a good thing too, as I was not a Latin Catholic at the time."

"What? You weren't Catholic? How could you be a godmother?" Payson sounded very surprised.

Ana laughed, "I definitely did not say that. I was, no am, a Romanian Byzantine Catholic. It is just really hard to find a Byzantine temple in a predominately Latin region."

"Oh." Was all Payson said, then she excused herself to go play with the girls. She had no earthly idea what Ana was talking about.

The girls' mother and Ana's friend got along with all of the Rock parents, and were perfectly happy to allow the girls their play time. They missed their coach and friend. Ana missed them too. They would be the hardest part of her move to the United States. She had spent hours and days entertaining and watching over her goddaughters. Now, she could only communicate with them over the phone, through letters and e-mails, and on occasion through visits.

During lunch on Friday, Reyna brought up the much dreaded topic of Sasha's whereabouts. "So, I am surprised that your handsome brother isn't around. I thought you were living with him." Reyna asked. Reyna had secretly liked Sasha for as long as Ana could remember. Now, Reyna was married, but that did not change her soft spot for Ana's adopted brother.

"He is visiting family in Romania. We didn't communicate well, I suppose." Ana shrugged, "I am so glad you came to visit!" She quickly changed the subject. She was still rather annoyed at Sasha's absence. It had now been over a week and she was still hoping to wake up to him cursing about not being able to find his socks.

"Of course, Ana! I missed you so much. So did my cousins, my goodness, you'd think that you are the goddess they worship." She laughed.

"I think the girls are pretty special too, but I prefer that Catholic girls worship the one, true God and not me!" Ana countered.

Reyna smiled, "Aw, no worries, Neita and Adele are good Catholic girls. They put me to shame. Are you coming to their confirmation in two months?"

"Of course. I have to be there for my goddaughters! It is important!" She smiled.

During their time in Boulder, the Spanish ladies helped Ana set up her new house. They went hiking and laughed merrily throughout their few days there. Ana took Reyna to the sister research center, and showed her around. Reyna, a microbiologist, was very excited to hear about the research that was happening in the states, joking that if she wasn't married to an aspiring Spanish politician, she would be on the next boat over.

Margarita tried very hard to get Ana to decide to move back and become her children's coach fulltime, but Ana laughed her off. Adele and Neita were trying to help, but they understood why Ana moved, so they were not very pushy. They were just excited that they would see her in a few weeks. In fact, by now they had her entire visit planned. Besides that, neither one of them had any intention of becoming elite gymnasts. They only did gymnastics for fun, their interests lied in other things.

Kaylie enjoyed spending time with the girls and they gossiped shamelessly in Spanish about everything from boys to school to friends. They girls were happy that the American girl spoke Spanish so fluently, but they laughed at her accent from time to time.

On the Saturday, the day before they had to leave, they convinced the Rock elites to help them surprise Ana by planting a garden.

"She's a biologist, she loves flowers and I know she likes eating her own vegetables." Adele coaxed the girls into going to the nursery to buy seedlings. "It would be a very nice gesture to show her you appreciate what she does for you."

"Yes, plus in Spain, she had a beautiful garden. She loves roses most." Neita added, holding up her hands as if she was picturing the garden.

"I knew that." Payson murmured. In spite of the girls' chirper presence, Payson was slowly losing herself in sorrow. She was reverting to an emotionless robot.

"Did you really?" Both girls chimed, while the Rock girls looked at her strangely.

"Yes, I have seen pictures." Payson shrugged. It wasn't like it was a big deal that she'd not this stuff. She just happened to ask Ana about her home in Spanish.

"What kinds of things does she like to eat?" Kaylie asked, picking up some plants.

"The question is, what doesn't she like to eat?" Lauren countered, helping her.

"Touché!" Kaylie giggled. Payson and the little girls gathered flowers, trees, and rose bushes while Lauren and Kaylie were trying to make heads or tails of the various vegetable plants. Emily had given a rather lame excuse why she couldn't be a member of the scheming gardeners. The little girls told a story about brownies who did nice things, like plant a garden, for people who had given them a gift. Lauren and Kaylie had understood recently that Ana had given them the gift of confidence and understanding. They wanted to return her favor by making her happy.

They got all the supplies and worked endlessly until the yard was beautiful. The two Spanish beauties entertained the gardeners with jokes and songs, causing even the miserable Payson to feel better. Then, when Ana and the adults came home, they surprised her with a garden party. The food was a gift from Kim, but the drinks and the place were from the girls. Ana was very touched at the little girls' thoughtfulness, giving them hugs and kisses on the cheek. She also hugged and thanked each of the elite girls.

On Sunday, the Keelers went to Mass with Ana and her guests. They all agreed that the little girls looked adorable in their Spanish Mantillas. Ana saw them off and cried when they left for Spain, but was happy to know she would be visiting them soon.

The same day the girls left, Nicholai and Dmitri flew in so Ana stayed in the Airport for the three hours. Her father came off the plane first and she waved joyfully. Dmitri followed.

Unfortunately, Antanasia, the childhood friend who was supposed to visit as well had to cancel at the last moment, giving no particular reason. She promised to visit soon. Ana was disappointed, but her friend was a mother and her children needed her. Besides, it would be easier for Ana to visit Romania than Antanasia to figure out how to pull off bringing her entire family to the United States for a visit.

"I am so glad to see you both!" She cried, running to embrace both men. They returned her hug, but Dmitri grumbled something about the old man tagging along and never letting him see his precious girl alone.

They chatted and were very light together. They went out to eat and caught up on everything that was said and done. Both men grew sad and angry when Ana told them about her marriage and how it ended. They were a little too interested in meeting Sasha's elites, but Ana was pleased when both men agreed that he was acting like a child. The gymnast they were both most interested in was none other than Payson.

Dmitri confirmed her suspicions that Sasha was in the town where his late wife was buried. He was working as a temporary bartender. Nicholai cursed at his wasting potential as a coach. They laughed and joked at his expense until Ana told them they needed to head to Boulder or they wouldn't be able to meet Payson in the morning. This caused them both to move very fast and Ana felt a pang of dread wash over her. She really did not want to share Sasha's favorite and most capable gymnast with their fathers. After all, they were good coaches, but Sasha had entrusted her to make sure Payson would do well. It felt like a conflict of interest to allow Payson to be subject to the very different, very unique coaching styles of Nicholai and Dmitri.

During the first few days her fathers were there, Ana noticed that Payson had stopped eating her mid-morning snacks and shakes with Kaylie. Her appetite seemed to be just as diminished as Ana's own appetite. Ana made a mental note to watch Payson, for fear that helping Kaylie recover was hurting Payson. The other explanation was that Payson was grieving the loss of Sasha, which could be just as dangerous as developing an eating disorder. Ana prayed it was just a coincidence.

Ana was right to dread it and she felt bad for Payson. For the three days they had already been there, Nicholai and Dmitri had completely taken over the elites training. Being as Lauren and Kaylie were still restricted in what they could do and Emily was only allowed to perform conditioning, that left most of the coaching to be reciprocated by Payson. Payson did not seem to mind other than her grumbling of being absolutely exhausted by the time the day was through. In the meantime, Ana got to play with the younger girls in the tumbling class which suited her just fine.

Normally not having any children of her own did not bother her, but with this Emily business and the fact that she wasn't given the love or opportunity, her lack of children had become painfully evident. As a result, she tried to spend as much time with the younger children as possible.

During Wednesday morning, she heard the two Romanian coaches discuss Payson. Her father stated, "Deci, aceasta este fata care a lucrat la toate Sasha."

Dmitri nodded, "Eu pot vedea de ce. Ea este foarte gratios." They were watching Payson do her floor routine.

Nicholai smirked, "Fiul tău poate fi foarte prost, prietenul meu."

Dmitri countered, "Gimnastele dumneavoastră nu poate vedea premiul în faţa lui." The other man nodded, but Ana noticed the light blush that had crept up Payson's face.

Ana took this as the opportunity to reprimand them, "Ai bârfa ca femeile vechi! Cred că a înţeles, voi nebuni." The men made a choking sound as Payson's face contorted in confusion. Good, Ana thought, she did not completely understand.

Both men muttered what sounded like an apology before excusing themselves from the floor, walking over to Ana.

"When exactly were you planning on telling us that the girl knows our tongue?" Dmitri asked, Ana smirked.

"You did not ask." Was her only reply, she turned on her heel and walked toward Payson to do damage control. "How much did you understand?"

Payson looked confused, "What?" Understanding dawned and she looked away nervously.

"Don't play games with me. I know you understood the majority about what they said, Pay." Ana hissed softly.

"I understood, more or less, everything they said. It was your insult that I didn't understand well." The girl admitted, shamefaced.

"Ha! I knew you understood some of the things Sasha and I would say. You are horrible at keeping secrets. Do you need to talk about it?" Ana asked, seriously. Payson shook her head. It didn't bother her that much to hear them talk about her. It wasn't as if they were insulting her. It was harder to understand Ana and Sasha because their conversations were much more rapid than the tones of the old men.

Ana nodded, believing the girl, before groaning. Damage control duty was not done; Dmitri had engaged Emily in conversation while Nicholai was nowhere to be seen, which scared Ana slightly. Her biological father was very blunt and Ana was afraid of what he would do unsupervised. Right now, however, Dmitri and Emily were the top priority. Dmitri had the tendency of being very, very perceptive. Although he was kinder than Nicholai, he still had a boastful, loud personality. Unlike herself and Sasha who handled things with discreet prudence, letting things fix themselves, both men took care of problems immediately.

Ana walked over just in time to hear most of the conversation, much to her horror, "How did you know? Did someone tell you?"

"I am a very old man, you think I have never seen pregnant girl in my life? I know these things." Dmitri smiled kindly.

"Well, I am just seven weeks, today actually. I'm not showing and I don't even know if I am going to keep it." Emily whispered, looking down at her flat stomach. She was very conflicted and felt like those who she wanted to help her in making this decision were ignoring her and those who she didn't give a crap what they thought, were telling her what to do. She felt like Ana and Sasha were judging her and she had no idea what their opinions were beyond that pregnancy would change her body shape forever. Although they had never done anything to show they were judging, she felt like they were. She hadn't told Damon yet. She was afraid to tell him.

Dmitri looked at the young girl for a few moments before stating, "A word of advice, if you will listen?" She nodded, figuring he would tell her anyways. "Dreams change, they are not written into the stone of your life. If you get rid of this child for an ever fleeting dream, you dye the stone red with its blood. Choose the path you can live with: a changing dream or a guilty conscious. Think about it."

The old man left Emily alone, pulling Ana by her arm to follow him. Ana allowed herself to be led, not wanting to argue with her adoptive father. She didn't know if she should scold her father or thank him. He had said the things she wanted to, only in a much more poetic way.

The rest of the week followed without much cause for scandal or talk. Emily decided to take some time to think over what the old Romanian had said. Nicholai and Dmitri made some furniture for Ana's house and helped her set up her new appliances that they bought her. Payson did not come for her morning runs all that week because she feared what the two old men would make her do. She imagined running up a hill while carrying a sandbag.

They had kept everyone very busy and Ana was sure the gymnasts would be glad when they left. Payson was relieved that she had survived the week. Ana was just happy that her father and her adopted father had not killed each other yet with all the bickering. She would miss them, but she was secretly glad they were leaving. They both, in private, had promised to kick Sasha's ass if he didn't come back soon.

After they left, Ana tried to call Sasha again, but when he didn't answer she decided to call Antanasia. Her friend answered immediately, talking energetically about how wonderful being a mother was and apologizing profusely for not being able to visit. Unfortunately, her daughter had caught a nasty illness two days before the plane was scheduled to leave. She said that she would be more than willing to meet in Hungary when the United States' World Team went to the international meet in a few weeks. Then, Ana could meet all of her children. After a while, Antanasia broached the subject of Ana's late husband and how she was coping with it all. Antanasia was the only person that Ana shared all of her troubles, dreams, and fears with. Antanasia ended the conversation saying, "By the way, I have been trying to convince Sasha that he needs to go back to America. He is really depressed and worried, especially about you and his girlfriend. He didn't say she was his girlfriend, but he talks about her enough. I can't remember her name, some American gymnast. Anyways, he misses you both so I do not see him lasting very much longer." After they said their goodbyes, Ana silently prayed her friend was right.

* * *

"You got another letter from the doctor's office, Ana." Kim called while Ana and Payson were working on bars. Ana had comfortably taken over the coaching position at the Rock temporarily as they looked for another temporary replacement for Sasha, albeit slowly in hopes that he would return. Ana was insistent that he would be back before they found one, although she had not heard from in a week and a half. Ana had gotten the hired notice the day before and her sabbatical was ending in two and a half months. Her father and Dmitri left two days before. She had missed her fathers, but was glad they left without causing too much trouble. After all, they were both great coaches of the sport and too eager to share their knowledge with their daughter, causing some spats.

It had been two and a half weeks since Sasha left. He was not answering his texts or phone calls from Ana and she was getting frustrated. Payson was like the living dead with absolutely no emotion. She threw herself into gymnastics, eating and sleeping only when absolutely necessary. Kim had said that her writing style in school changed slightly, reflecting her lack of emotion and creativity. The other girls were doing fine, but Payson had given up hope. She needed Sasha, without him, she was just a shell. Ana was angry at her brother, but more worried for his safety. Nicholai and Dmitri left so now she was feeling neglected again, even though she really did not want them to stay. One the outside, she was fine. On the inside, she was heartbroken at her brother's absence.

"Again?" She laughed as Payson finished. "They are the ones who insisted that I wait to pay until my insurance is figured out. I have the money to pay for a doctor's visit now, but no…have to wait." Payson giggled as Ana muttered in annoyance. This was her second benign bill, if Ana was correct. After Payson landed her dismount, Ana nodded in approval and then jogged over to Kim.

She opened and read the letter. Her face paled as she read. "Erm, Kim, can I use the Rock phone for personal use? I need to call the doctor and I left my cell phone at the house…" Her voice was distant. Kim nodded and motioned to the phone. Meanwhile, Payson followed closely behind, curious as to what was up.

Kim and Payson watched as Ana dialed the number, too agitated to sit down. They watched the girl slow her breathing as the phone rang. Then they both looked away, not wanting to listen in, but they heard the conversation. Ana had become like a daughter to Kim, so the words worried her. It did not seem to faze Payson or Ana beyond taking them to a different place.

"Hello, this is Ana Kreanga. I got a letter to call immediately concerning a finding in my blood work, dated for last Friday." There was a paused, then Ana began to nod her head. After a few moments, she whispered, "Yes, I understand. Thank you for letting me know. I'll be in touch."

Another pause, "Yes, I am sure that is a fine date, I will look for the confirmation e-mail. Thanks." She hung up the phone and slowly sat down on the chair. For several moments she looked empty and distant before tears slowly streamed down her face. She scarcely even breathed, too shocked to move.

Kim patted the girl on her back before leading her daughter away. They walked slowly away, not knowing how to handle what had just happened. They didn't know how to help the devastated girl either.

Payson walked into the office about a half hour later, wanting to have her suspicions confirmed. "What's up, Ana?" Payson asked softly, noting the tears and the distraught look on her face. It must have been something pretty bad.

Ana sat silently for a few moments, "Two weeks ago, when I went to the doctor's to establish care, they took a sample of my blood, as you know. They chose to take extra vials as a precaution, practically a unit of blood. While testing it, they noticed an anomaly in my blood. My white to red ratio was off."

Payson nodded, not yet sure why Ana was explaining things so precisely, slowly. She knew that too many white blood cells could be a problem, but she didn't know what to say. Ana had been feeling poorly and then fine day by day. Her attitude hadn't changed, but her eating habits and exercise habits had slightly. Ana stared off into the distance for a few more minutes before sucking in a very pained breath. She looked absolutely terrified.

"They had to test the extra vials of blood they took. It is back, I have leukemia again." Ana said, her voice quiet and quivering. "I think we need to wrap up practice for the day, I need to think and pray. So, they have fifteen minutes. Can you let everyone know…that practice is done… and to be here bright and early in the morning? Wait, no, I can do it."

"Yes, ma'am." Payson said as she rushed out of the room. No one thought that Ana would get leukemia back. Sure, she had been acting strange, but not ill. She had been in remission for years.

"Hey everyone, parents included." Ana called as she walked to the middle of the floor, "I just finished talking on the phone with my doctor, I need to have a follow up on Thursday, two days from now. There will be no practice on that day. I will address the Parents' board on Friday." She sighed and then added, "Practice today is over, but tomorrow we are going on a nice, long run. After running, we are going to have a collaborative planning session to up your D.O.D.'s. So, I will see you at six-thirty tomorrow morning. The goal is eight minute miles. Okay, that's all."

Something about her demeanor and voice told them all not to ask, just obey. They quickly filed out, leaving her alone. The girls quickly changed and left. There were no scheduled classes today, so the other coaches left as well. On Thursday, two of the coaches would have to teach the classes, but beyond that, it should not be a problem to cancel practice.

After watching them walk away, Ana went outside. She walked slowly to her new home, smiling as she saw the floor beds and garden that Neita and Adele had helped plant. She smiled at the little things her dad and Dmitri had made, a bookshelf and her lab bench. The curtains and table cloths were courtesy of Margarita and Reyna's excellent seamstress and embroidery skills. Her house was rather plain, but it was beautiful in its simplicity. Suddenly, the kindness of her friends and family overwhelmed her and she sat against a wall, holding her chest as she bit back a sob.

She picked up her cellphone and called her supervisor to let him know about the leukemia. He was genuinely upset for her and promised to pray. He also said that he would pass on the information and they would get back with her within a few days with her new job description. She smiled at his kindness, thanking him before hanging up the phone. Next, she called her dad and Dmitri to let them know, but assured them that they did not need to return immediately. Finally, she called Antanasia, leaving the message with the girl's husband, who promised to call their parish priest and alert the prayer chain.

She placed the phone on the counter before she began to weep. Her worst nightmare had just come true. She wasn't tired and sick because she was depressed, she was because she was truly ill. She sighed as she picked up the phone, dialing the number that had been ignoring her calls. She had only spoken to him once in two and a half weeks, in spite of the fact that she called him once daily. He always ignored her calls. Today was no different.

"Sasha?" Her voice quivered, continuing, "You need to come back. No more self-pity. Sasha, I need you to come back. The leukemia is back. Please, call me back…please, don't leave me alone." She cried into the phone, her pleas turning into sobs. How could she go on?


	19. Chapter 19

_In honor of maintaining my 4.0, here is an update on a golden platter. I might be persuaded to make the story a bit longer, but I don't want to stretch it out artificially. I was playing with the idea of Payson getting an eating disorder, but all is revealed in this chapter...kinda. I still do not own like anything cool. (Well, my mockingjay pin is pretty neat.)  
_

* * *

"Good run, girls. Go take a shower and be back here for our collaborative planning session. Wear comfortable clothing, but a leo would be helpful." Ana smiled. Kaylie and Lauren squealed because that meant they might actually get to do gymnastics.

She slipped into the coach's locker room to do the same. She hadn't slept well that night, but she felt good this morning. Antanasia had called around nine and they talked until midnight. Then Ana tossed and turned in bed before deciding on watching a movie just to pass the time until she would have gymnastics to take her mind off her worries.

Payson was the first to arrive that morning, bearing the gift of chocolate chip cookies and a pretty candle from Kim. She said that they were not sympathy gifts, just cheer me ups. Soon after, all of the girls showed up for their run. They made good time and Ana was pleased, thankful that she felt so good.

"Hey, Ana, can we talk?" Khloe asked, she was sitting awkwardly in the office when Ana came in with her hair still tucked in a towel. Ana smiled kindly and nodded, sitting down in Sasha's chair and rubbing the water from her hair.

"Whatcha want to talk about?" Ana's voice was cheery.

"Well, I want to see about paying up Emily's dues from last month and ask you how soon you expect your first payment for paying you back for your kindness. After all, Emily isn't going to be a gymnast anymore, so I…" Khloe was teary-eyed, but held herself in a dignified manner. Ana and Sasha had been so kind to her and her family, but now everything was going to change. Emily was a scared, pregnant teenager. She had decided to keep the child and now was letting go of her dream to become an Olympian.

Ana's smile faded and she seemed thoughtful before pulling out the dues book and opening it to Emily's file, looking at it. She was not really seeing it though, she was thinking. Emily owed the full amount from the last month's dues, being close to two hundred dollars. "You owe nothing." Ana stated simply, closing the book and putting it away. Ana liked Khloe, even if she disagreed with her past. All she saw was a mom who had been dished a hard life and was dealing with it the best she could. She enjoyed their talks and games. She enjoyed having coffee with Khloe and Kim. She didn't want Khloe to be punished because Emily had made a mistake. She did not want Emily to be any more punished than she already was because of this mistake.

"I know that is not true." Khloe sighed.

"You're right, but I will not take your money. I gave you the loan because I wanted to give you the chance to follow your dream, not to allow Emily to follow hers. It is not contingent on whether or not your daughter works out here. You owe me, you owe the Rock nothing." Ana smiled, rocking back in her chair. The gymnasts were gossiping, obviously, in the gym. Well, Lauren and Kaylie were gossiping while Payson was sulking. That wasn't surprising as Payson had been sulking for two and a half weeks now. She was anti-social, had lost some weight, and was completely emotionless. Ana wasn't too worried about her just yet, but she was watching the younger blonde.

"I am not a charity case, please let me pay the dues and pay you back." Khloe pleaded, adding, "I shouldn't have taken your money in the beginning. I just, I wanted the opportunity to be…"

"No, ma'am, you are not a charity case. You are a scholarship recipient and you are my friend. I will not take your money because you owe me nothing. Friends do not loan money with strings attached. Follow your dreams, Khloe, you deserve that much." Ana said, smiling sadly. Khloe looked like she was about to argue, but decided against it.

"I shouldn't keep you." She said, standing up. Ana nodded, walking her to the door of the office.

"I would very much like to visit with you and your wonderful children. Can you come over this weekend?" Ana asked, smirking when she heard Khloe's sudden intake of breath.

"Yes, I suppose. I'll call you this evening?" Ana nodded before motioning the gymnasts to come to the office.

When they arrived, all three girls plopped on the couch at the same time, causing Ana to laugh. She got out her notebook with the words "Torture Methods" written neatly in marker on the front. Payson rolled her eyes at the book. She knew that Ana did not actually write down any of her fantastic workout ideas in that book. It was rather a collection of her observations and comments on each girl's physic and routines.

"Alright, girls, we are here to discuss your routines. This is the only time you get absolute input. Your opinions are only valid in this session. Use this opportunity wisely." The girls chuckled at the seriousness and reverence in Ana's tone.

"I only have one question before we begin. This has bothered me since I got here. Lauren, can you please explain the purpose of the 'sizzle' and why you insist on making every routine you do into something sexy?" Lauren laughed, while Kaylie and Payson made faces.

Smirking Lauren said, "If you got it, flaunt it. Besides, it is what I am known for now." Payson rolled her eyes. She didn't want to be known for her sexiness, she wanted to be known for her power and perfection. Ana looked at Lauren strangely before writing down the answer in her book, shrugging as she did so. Every gymnast has a signature, why should she question Lauren's?

"Alright, how do we want to do this?" Payson asked, when Ana hadn't said anything for a while. Ana seemed to be looking past the girls, through the window. She was squinting, as if trying to see something. Payson's voice pulled her away and she shook her head.

"What?" She started dumbly, but quickly regained her composer, "Oh, yes, I want to ask you if there is any moves your little hearts are dead set on learning and incorporating in your routines? Is there anything you want to add?"

"I want to revamp all of my routines. I was thinking of upping my difficulty level on all of my dismounts. Give the judges something to ponder." Lauren smiled.

"You mean other than why a sixteen year old girl could double as an exotic dancer in a Vegas strip club?" Kaylie smirked. Lauren just tossed her head, ignoring Kaylie's comment.

"Now, Kaylie, we are keeping today civil or you will all be doing something horrific tomorrow." Ana threatened darkly, causing the bickering to cease immediately. She wasn't sure what exactly she could make the anorexic and the cardiac patient do, but it would be something extremely painful. Besides, both girls had been cleared for gymnastics. Ana was just moving them lightly. She was going to start them on easy skills today, to make sure they could do it.

Lauren and Kaylie looked terrified, but Payson scoffed. She folded her arms across her chest and slouched. Normally she would be excited to discuss routines, but Sasha had always allowed for her opinions, so it wasn't as if this was such a big deal. She knew the real reason they were there was for the other two girls to learn that they were to start training today.

"What exactly are we doing today? More, why are you here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else, like, oh, I don't know, a doctor's office?" A deep voice chimed in, breaking the silence. The three gymnasts turned and opening stared at the door. They couldn't see him, he was in the shadow outside the door, but they knew he was there.

"As I was saying, this is a time for your suggestions. That way, when you can train, you will come back in style." Ana pointedly ignored the owner of the voice. She cleared her voice when the girls did not respond.

"I am going to continue to work on the plan I had originally." Payson was the first to speak.

"I want to improve my power, but besides that I will trust you as my coach." Kaylie said meekly.

"Am I allowed to suggest something or are we ignoring the ominous voice?" He asked, causing Ana's face to distort slightly as he walked into the room. He stopped at the door.

The girls were frozen, unsure of how to answer. Each of them were upset at him and yet all they wanted to do was hug him. Ana was ignoring him and she controlled their fates at the moment. Would she be mad if they stopped her meeting in order to hug their beloved Coach Belov?

"I did not know that you would be so conceited to claim to be a god, rebel." Ana's voice was soft, but it still held some hostility.

"I am the great rebel god of gymnastics." He answered back, looking at his sister and then the gymnasts.

Ana huffed a sigh, "I suppose your input would be appreciated, oh great and powerful rebel god."

Payson looked away from Sasha's gaze, tightening her arms and hiding her hands under them. She was full of mixed emotions. He did not return her calls or texts or anything! Now he was back and she didn't know what she was supposed to think or do.

"Well, in that case, I took the liberty to draw up new and improved routines for each of you. As this is a planning session, I assume you are allowed to veto them?" He looked to Ana for confirmation, but she was busy inspecting her nails. So he continued, "I also drew up new diet plans based on your needs." He handed each girl an envelope with the plans contained within. Payson refused to take hers, so he kept hold of it, looking at her strangely.

He handed one to Ana who looked at him like he had grown another head, "I am not a gymnast, Sasha. What is this?"

"Your new diet plan, Ana, to get you nice and healthy again." He answered, seriously.

"I am perfectly healthy! I do not need your stupid diet plan. Why are you even here if I am not supposed to be?" She almost shouted.

Sasha chuckled at her, "Perfectly healthy is not what I would call a cancer patient." The girls gasped, except for Payson. Sasha knew he was in trouble, she hadn't told them yet, but he continued, "I am here because frankly, I do not know where we live anymore. My home is missing."

"Oh, I didn't think of that." Ana said, suddenly very busy reading her diet plan, whining, "You have no room for ice cream, zeppola, and pizza on this stupid thing. You expect the dying cancer patient to survive without her favorite treats?"

"So, it is true?" Kaylie screeched, Lauren allowed her jaw to drop.

"Um, I meant to break it to you easier. Yes, it is. I guess the NGO was right for not certifying me." Ana said, turning toward them slightly. She looked back up at Sasha, expectantly.

"You know you cannot eat things with carcinogens anymore, oh great biologist and daughter of Gaia." He answered, standing next to Payson now. Payson still had refused to take her packet.

"I know it, but I won't believe it." She said suddenly, then she threw her hands up, "besides! Even water can have a small amount of carcinogens!" Technically it was true, but she was using it to conveniently defend her eating habits.

"Whatever, you are eating that list and that is final." Sasha said sternly.

Ana stared at him blankly for a moment before grinning devilishly, "Okay, but I am told paper is not very good for you. It falls under the psychological disorder of pica." She started to crumble the paper and opened her mouth.

"Oh, stop it!" Sasha groaned, snatching the list from his sister, "I spent the better part of the flight here coming up with that."

"How sweet." Payson commented dryly.

"And on that note, I think it is time for me to announce that Kaylie and Lauren have been officially cleared to work out, so without further ado, let's get going!" Ana said, practically running out of the room.

The two girls giddily followed her toward the gym floor, but Sasha blocked the door from Payson. She looked at him, but said nothing.

"Take your envelope, Payson." He said, gently.

"I do not accept envelopes from you." She replied, looking at anything but him.

"And why not?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He still held the envelope out to her. She sighed and pushed past him, walking toward the gym floor. Once she got there, she ran toward bars. He followed her. She flung herself on the bars, without her grips and barely chalked.

She did a fast and hazardous routine, full of anger and rage. Her moves were large and sloppy, but full of intense emotion. On one of her grip changes, she fell and she relived her fall from Nationals. Fear gripped her body as she was just sure she was going to die. She mentally berated herself for being so reckless. Somehow she was speared from that awful fate before, but now would she be so lucky? Everything she had ever done flashed before her eyes; she did not even have time to scream.

He caught her with a grunt, pulling her close to himself amazed that he got under her on time. He relived that moment as well, fearing that fall. He breathed in her scent, unashamed as a tear fell from his eyes, "That was incredibly stupid." Payson nodded, burying her head into his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and cried.

He held her there for several moments before setting her carefully on her feet and taking her hands from around his neck. The other three women in the room were staring at them as he inspected Payson's hands. They were cut and bloodied from the bars, Ana jogged over to where they were standing. She also inspected the hands, "Wow, you did a number, Pay. I'll talk to the girls, Sasha. I'm sure they'll assume the obvious though." Ana muttered, noting the tears that were in Sasha's eyes but remained unshed.

Summer and Kim came in, laughing, and headed to the office around the same time. Kim smiled and then frowned when she saw Sasha inspecting her daughter's hands. "What happened?" She called, her voice laced in concern.

Ana answered, "A slight lack of grips on the bars. Her hands are probably raw, just a little blood. She's fine." Kim looked surprised. Payson had never once done something so stupid. She looked as if she were debating going to her daughter, but then decided to leave her in Sasha's care. She smiled warmly at them and ascended into the office.

"Get back to work." Sasha called, before looking at Payson and nudging her toward the med room. The women obeyed, unquestioningly. Lauren and Kaylie figured that they were just emotional over the fall, but Ana knew that it was so much more.

Once they got into the med room, Sasha instantly began methodically cleaning her hands. Payson protested, "I can do it."

"Nonsense, love." Sasha quipped back, turning his full attention to them. Payson hissed with the antiseptic touched the open cuts. Sasha said nothing, but blew cool air on them. He then put a salve on them and wrapped them, placing a light kiss on both her hands.

Payson pulled them away and glared at him, "You think kissing my hands and calling me 'love' will make it all better? Cause you are so wrong."

"I was hoping so, but I am not so naïve." He answered, honestly. Leaning against the counter across from where she sat on the cot.

"We're going to have to talk privately, but not now." She said, her voice was flat and emotionless.

He looked at her, nodding. She looked like hell. Her eyes held dark circles beneath them, her cheeks were slightly sunken and her hair wasn't very shiny. Come to think of it, she felt lighter. All because of him. He knew she would take it hard, but he never imagined how. "You've lost weight." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Yes, that generally happens when you stop eating." Was her reply, she fidgeted in her seat and looked at her feet in shame.

"Why?" He asked and she whipped her head up, staring opening.

She looked like she was debating something, but answered, "Hunger strike. Like I said, we need to talk."

"And we will talk soon. Like tonight, or tomorrow, or soon." He smirked, but she rolled her eyes.

"This is serious, Sasha, not a joke." She stood up, "Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do and apparently a diet plan to show my mother."

"I wouldn't give her the envelope without looking at it first. There is a piece of paper that I don't think you want your mother to see." He stated with a grin. He had written her a sappy love letter, in his own hand, the day she had called him demanding to know if he were alive. He was sure that she would melt if she read it. It was getting her to read it which was the problem.

"Is that so? Good thing you still have the damn letter." She walked out of the room, leaving Sasha to think. He knew she would be angry, but now he knew what Shakespeare meant when he supposedly said that hell hath no fury…

He wasn't expecting her to welcome him back with open arms and a kiss. He wasn't expecting that though. Payson had every right to be angry, but he was disappointed that she did not seem excited to see him. He was also slightly hurt when he saw she wasn't wearing the ring he had given her. She normally wore it, even during practice and she wasn't. So many possibilities rushed through his head. Some of them were crushing, yet was it not what he wanted? He wanted her to choose him in spite of the fact that she could have anyone. With that came the risk that she chose someone else.

Sighing, he walked out of the med room and toward his sister. Now, Ana's reaction was totally expected. He knew that she would ignore him and avoid him. He did feel bad for telling the gymnasts her news, but he thought for sure she would have by now. After all, her father knew. He threatened Sasha's life, over the phone while he was purchasing his plane tickets, if he didn't get to America to be there for his sister immediately. Once he had heard the voicemail, he was almost instantly at the airport, quitting his bartending job via text message.

"On a scale from one to ten, how much trouble am I in?" He asked standing next to his sister.

"Ten being the highest, the most trouble you've ever been in and can ever be in?" Ana smirked, sounding as if she was in a better mood. They were watching Kaylie's vault while Payson was working with Lauren on beam. Payson was coaching her friend, as she couldn't very well perform with bandaged hands.

"Yes." He replied, noting her demeanor. He saw that Lauren and Kaylie kept stealing glances at him, as if to make sure they were not dreaming, but Payson was trying to ignore his existence. He was in deep, uncensored, unbridled trouble when it came to Payson. Lauren and Kaylie would probably warm up to him by the end of the day.

"Fifty-five bazillion, buddy. You are in _so much _trouble. Heaps, mounds. Death is more attractive and that's just from me. I'm nothing compared to what you have in store with her." She whispered lethally, knowing he would know that she was referring to Payson. Then, she cheered instantly, "Anyway, I am glad you're back. If you leave again, I will send the hitman that owes me a favor after you."

"You don't have any hitmen that owe you favors, Ana." Sasha said, aspirated. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He knew he was in trouble, but joking that she was going to assassinate him was not helping the situation.

"Shall we test that theory, dear brother?" She smiled. Something in her voice lightened up his mood. She did not sound as hostile anymore. In her tone, he knew Ana had forgiven him. Now, it was Payson to worry about.

"Let's not and say we did. Besides, I have a feeling that after she is done with me, they won't be able to identify the body." He smirked. He knew he shouldn't be joking. Payson was upset at him and that conversation would not be pleasant. Ana wasn't quite as upset at him anymore and was just being sisterly now, she playfully bumped her arm into his.

Ana chuckled evilly, "Oh, ho, they won't be able to _find_ the body. She is like three million levels of pissed at you right about now."

"That, I noticed." He answered, walking away toward the office.

* * *

Lauren and Kaylie gave him a hug each before they left, saying they were glad he came back so unexpectedly. Practice was still canceled for the next day so Sasha could attend the doctor's appointment with his sister. He called the Rock parents, or most of them anyway, to let them know he had arrived back.

Payson had pointedly avoided and ignored him all day to the point of being rude and disrespectful, but now it was after hours and her mom had left her to practice her routines as normal. Everyone else had left, save Ana and Sasha. The latter two were filling out paperwork in the office. Payson removed the bandages on her hands a few hours ago and was shocked at how bad her hands were. She wouldn't be able to use them for a few days. That definitely solved the slapping or kissing dilemma though, as slapping would hurt.

"I'm heading home, Pay. Sasha wants to talk when you are ready. You can come over after and we can eat the last of the ice cream as I am no longer allowed to have that starting tomorrow. Hope you can stomach a few liters of it." Ana laughed as she walked out the door.

"Call my mom to let her know." Payson called back before ascending to the beam. Once Ana was safely out of earshot, Sasha walked up and watched her.

"Okay, I know you are angry, but why are you avoiding me?" He asked, trying to sound casual. Payson ignored him, continuing her routine.

"Because, I am beyond furious. Besides, what were you expecting? To be welcomed with open arms?" She replied after a few moments, spinning gracefully and leaping across the beam.

"Well, I was expecting a whole lot less of this scorn you are directing at me and many more kisses, but that was a ridiculous dream." He smiled, trying to make the mood lighter. She glared at him and he quickly righted his composure, clearing his throat.

"You are angry, but specifically?" He prompted, but was ignored. After a few moments, he started to speak again, "Look, what I did was incredibly stupid. It competes with your bar routine this morning." He shook his head, it wasn't funny. He almost lost her the first time, he was lucky he caught her this time. He had promised himself to always catch her when she fell and he left her to fall.

She continued to refuse to answer, so he continued, "And, I know when people get angry, sometimes they do things they regret because they are hurt. I really hurt you when I left, I know I did. I hurt you more when I refused your calls. I understand if you absolutely hate me. If you found solace in someone else, or did something you regret, I understand." He hung his head, sadly.

She whipped her head toward him, "Whoa, what are you referring to?" She stopped, mid-step.

He looked embarrassed and very sad, "Sometimes when people are hurt, they lose interest in the one that hurt them or they seek comfort and love in someone else."

"I did not have sex, Sasha! Jeeze Louise! Why would you assume that?" She made the connection between his attitude and his words with shock and disgust. Why would he assume that she could do that when she loved him? She jumped down from the beam and looked at him critically, questioningly.

"Well, I hurt you. You were avoiding me and you're not wearing the ring, so I assumed you moved on?" He asked dumbly, his expression was pleading.

Abruptly, she was wrapping her arms around him and crying into his chest. It took him a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer into himself. Just holding her, allowing her to cry.

"I flung the ring the day you left in the office, I can't find it. I was mad that you left me. It was before I read the letter." She said, once her tears were in control, "I didn't 'seek solace' in anyone else. I would never, ever betray you like that. I love you." She kissed his cheek.

"I'll find the ring, love. I love you, too. I am so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" He asked, looking very contrite. He pulled away from their embrace slightly to watch her expression, stroking her long hair.

"Hmm, I think that can be arranged." She smirked, feeling better. She hugged him closer, relishing in his warmth and protection. She laid her head against his chest and heard his beating heart. He returned and his embrace broke down the wall of indifference she had built over the last few weeks. She smiled as she felt him pepper kisses to the top of her head. They stood, embraced and in silence, for several minutes neither of them willing to part.

"Promise me something?" He asked after a while of holding her to him.

"What?" She mumbled into his shirt, inhaling his godly scent and trying to bring herself even closer to him.

"Never quit eating again. You look like you just came back from a war camp. I was only gone a few weeks, you know? I expected to come back to a healthy Payson, not a death-like Payson." He kissed her forehead to show he was joking.

"I'll promise that if you promise never to leave me again." She ignored his other comments. She knew he was right. Being a thin, athletic person in the beginning, it wasn't hard for her to look horrible because of a lack of weight. Everyone had left her alone, assuming it was from depression and she would get over it. She was pretty sure her mother had an intervention plan organized for when she had lost over ten pounds though. She had lost seven pounds in two weeks, which was hardly healthy.

"I will never leave you again, unless you order me to." He promised very seriously, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. You have no idea." She replied.

"I have somewhat an idea. I got threatening phone calls from a certain sibling of mine daily with updates, after all." He laughed, remembering the voice messages she had left. She had threatened to do the impossible if he didn't come back or she would plead or she would guilt. Mostly, she threatened, "By the way, do you think Ana knows any hitmen?"

Payson looked up at him with a weary glance, "With Ana, you never know. She has all sorts of connections." He laughed. She threatened to trace his cell phone, to hire hitmen, to send a private investigator after him. By the end of the two and a half weeks, her threats had become beyond ridiculous. Nothing could compare to when he accidentally answered the phone though. He was sure that if she could choke him through the phone, she would have. He slipped the letter out of his jacket and placed it in Payson's hand. She groaned lightly, not wanting to read her new and improved diet plan or routines.

Placing one more kiss on the top of her head, Sasha pulled Payson in tightly; then, he loosed his grip on her and took her hand carefully, "C'mon, we have a few liters of ice cream and other junk to get out of the house before tomorrow. We might need more than three people to eat all the bad food Ana was bound to buy these past two weeks." She giggled, allowing herself to be led away.

"Well she did have help, I mean her goddaughters picked out most of it." Payson smiled, remembering the girls.

"I can only imagine. Shall we invite your mom and Becca?" He asked, Payson nodded with a grin. She ran her thumb lightly over his knuckles and he squeezed her hand, careful not to hurt it. Both of them glad to be in the other's presence.

Before they got to the door she paused, "Wait."

He stopped and looked at her with a gentle smile before she stood on her tiptoes and pulled his lips to hers. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling them closer. It didn't take a second before Sasha responded, lifting her gently from around her waist and deepening the kiss.


	20. Chapter 20

_I still do not own MIOBI, but I am working on it (haha)._

* * *

Payson sat in the center of her bed, looking at her letters and thinking about the night before. Sasha was pleasantly surprised that Ana had decorated her house with some of his things as well as her own. There was a whole wall devoted to his last Olympic cycle, the one where she was in the hospital. There was a picture with her in her hospital bed, surrounded by books, with the television pushed close. In the television, Sasha was standing on the gold medal podium with a serious look on his face. Ana had a grin on her face and a piece of paper that read, Alexandru Belov: pentru aur. She said that she had watched as much of the Olympics that the doctors would allow her to, which wasn't much because it worked her up. In spite of her sickly look, she was glowing in the picture. Payson glanced at her own picture of the dynamic duo. Ana was healthy and elated in that photo.

Her family had come over last night to the new house and they had eaten the two liters of ice cream and entire box of oreos. Sasha had teasingly berated Ana for having so much junk food, but was pleasantly surprised not to find any evidence of more food beyond the ice cream and cookies. Also, it did not appear like Ana had eaten much of it since her goddaughters had left. Only one row of cookies was eaten and half of a liter of ice cream. Kim had joked saying that Payson had broken her diet more with her coaches than without them. Sasha protested that it was all Ana's doing. She simply shrugged, smirking something about taking a risk and living life in Romanian.

At first Payson was supposed to go with Ana to her appointment today, but Sasha and Ana had disinvited her gently saying they were going to use the time in the vehicle to work out some issues. Knowing they needed the time, Payson had bowed out graciously. Now, she was pretending to catch up on her reading, but she was really just reading her letters. With a sigh, she read aloud the letter that he had written her to let her know he was leaving:

"My most precious Payson,

I am writing you personally to let you know that I am going away for a while. You should feel honored; you are the only one I am telling besides my sister because you are so special to me. I know you will not, though. You will be angry at me, furious. You have every right, love. Just do not allow it to change your focus on your dreams. You can fight me, hate me, mourn me, but at the end of the day, you must choose to follow your dream. You are too special to give it up. I have asked my sister to continue your training.

I have a little vocation time from the Rock, so I am going on an indefinite leave of absence. I do not want to leave you, or any of my other gymnasts, but I feel like I have no choice. I feel like I have no control. I demand absolute obedience and dedication to this sport of my gymnasts, yet I am distracting you from your training. I have hurt you more than I have helped you with promises of love and devotion that would be unfair to you if I kept them and hurtful to your teenaged heart if I did not. What a predicament I have backed myself into. I am sorry.

Please, do not attempt to contact me, I will ignore any calls and text messages you may send. Ana does not know where I am going. I will see you from the bottom of the gold medal podium in London, Payson. Although I should not say it, I love you. Because I love you, I am leaving you.

Forever your humble servant,

Alexandru Belov"

She was so angry that he left, blaming his absence on his love for her, "Damn you, Sasha." She knew it had to do with more than just her. He was conflicted for Lauren, Kaylie, and Emily. Yet, she knew that she was most likely the main reason. His letter depressed her, so she began to softly read the newest letter, the love letter:

"My most sweet and beloved Payson,

Why are you concerned about my life, my breath, my beating heart? I left those things with you. Only you have the power of my existence. You are the breath I breathe and the blood which courses through veins.

You are my sun and my moon. With thoughts of you, I rise. With thoughts of you, I sleep. You are constantly on my mind, my mind muses upon you and my body pines for your presence. Your soft, sweet voice speaking with wisdom beyond her years or the powers of a gymnastic goddess. The gentle caress of your hand against mine or touching my face. The tender kisses, the sweet breath, intoxicating.

I miss you, my love, and I will never forget you even if you forget me. You will never see this, but I had to write it anyways.

Your most devoted servant,

Sasha"

Payson smiled. She did not quite understand why Sasha was signing his letters that way, but it made her happy. She reread the letters before sighing. She really needed to get her reading done before her mother caught on that she was neglecting her schoolwork. She wrapped up her letters and placed them under her mattress.

* * *

"So, you have an engagement ring for her?" Ana prodded, as they sat waiting for their food after the consultation with the oncologist, she was still gripping his hand tightly. They were in a restaurant which fit into her new diet plan, meaning that they would be eating whole foods.

The appointment had not been a pleasant experience. She was terrified, crying as the doctor confirmed her cancer. They discussed her options. They decided to try to start with biological therapy, to try to coax her body into attacking the cancerous cells. Then, a bone marrow transplant. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy would be employed after that if needed. She was concerned about the course of action, but there wasn't much she could do. She was given the option to go to a special research hospital, where intensive treatment options would be used. She declined, saying that those spots should go to people who needed to live longer. Yes, she wanted to live longer and to beat the cancer, but she was needed here. She didn't want to be a test subject, she wanted to be a person. She had already lived a long life.

"Yes, I do. If she'll have me, I intend on marrying her after she wins gold in London. It will be her only Olympic cycle, unfortunately." He smiled, rubbing soothing circles into his sister's back.

She smiled sadly at him, "I hope I live to see it." She let out a shaking sigh. She was very much shaken by her meeting with the doctor.

"You will, dragă, I know you will." He said with a soft smile, frowning as he saw her hot tears begin to spill down her cheeks. He reached up to wipe them away, whispering that he loved her. She tried to protest, quoting what the doctor had said. The doctor warned her that she had a tough time fighting the disease before and that it was always harder the second time around. Luckily, he assured her, she was only in the first stages of the disease process.

After several moments she sighed and smiled, "So, you never did tell me how much you paid for that ring. Tell me, now." It wasn't a question or a demand. It was a soft plea, probably to distract her from her problems. She sighed and leaned into him for comfort and support.

"Nothing, cerb mici, I did not buy it." He smirked at her confused face, then offered the explanation, "It is mama's engagement ring. You don't mind, do you?" He smiled, brushing her hair from her forehead and placing a sweet kiss on her temple.

"No, somehow, it is fitting." She sighed, snuggling closer into her older brother, adding playfully, "I am glad you didn't spend half your fortune on her ring. You'll need it to teach your children gymnastics. Your dozens of children."

Sasha stiffened and shook his head, "Maybe two or three, I don't think her body can possibly handle more than that." He was thinking of how small she was. He was not sure if she could handle having any children at all. He knew that children changed a woman's body, but at the same time he worried that having children might even kill her.

The food arrived and Ana delicately wrinkled her nose. Sasha laughed, but still thinking of children he had to ask, "Ana, did you ever want to be a mother?" His words were gentle, loving.

She sucked in a pained breath and stared at him, "Of course. My greatest desire was to become a mother." She began to sob softly. She never had the opportunity to have children. Her husband had stolen the opportunity to have children from her.

"Well, you are young. You still could have a child, love." He kissed her cheek tenderly. She misinterpreted the gesture.

"Oh, I think that would awkward, brother, even if we aren't related. The cancer would be bad for the baby and Pay would be devastated." She smiled softly, strangely touched by his concern.

Sasha made a choking sound and his eyes widened, "I didn't mean that!"

"Oh, that is good then." She said softly, embarrassed by the turn of the conversation. Slowly, she spoke, "I've been suspended from research. I will be required to finish my research papers that I am supposed to be working on during these months of sabbatical. I have been placed on a reviewing committee and in a liaison program between the government and the company. I have been asked if I want to teach or work on the new text book the company wants to produce." Her voice cracked at the end. Her new job description was a very artificial title combined with a very difficult to understand smorgasbord of duties. At least they were keeping her valuable, she tried to rationalize it. She knew that they would not fire her, or refuse her transfer. She was excellent at what she did. Plus, her credentials and reputation begged on her behalf.

"What do you want to do, Ana?" Sasha sighed, knowing full well what her answer would be.

"Research." She sagged deeper into his side with a groan.

* * *

"Guess what I did for you!" Ana grinned on Friday morning when Payson arrived for their run. She was waving something that looked like airline vouchers and a schedule in her hands.

"I have no idea." Payson said, her face pulling into a tight frown, she looked around for Sasha. He wasn't out yet, which meant that he was probably trying to find some article of clothing that Ana hid or 'forgot' to put away. She found it highly amusing to hear Sasha curse silently trying to find his shoes or his warm up jacket.

Ana let out a joyful laugh, "Well, my company is paying for me to go to a conference in San Antonio the weekend after next. It just so happens that there is going to be an individual gymnastics meet the same exact weekend at the same campus! I asked your mom and you are now my travelling companion! Everything paid either by me or the company, my plus one! I barely was able to get you registered." She handed the girl the papers in her hands.

"You'll be in the conference when I am supposed to be competing. I've never competed without a coach." Payson pointed out the fatal flaw to the brilliant scheme, "Plus, the other girls would like to go meet too, I'm sure."

"They aren't cleared to compete yet. Besides, here!" She handed another voucher, this one paid with her own credit card, "Sasha will come after practice on Friday. He'll get there pretty late. On Thursday, we'll check into our rooms and you'll go to the opening dinner with me as my sister. That's who I told them you were, by the way. You practically are, or will be, after all. Then, on Friday morning, before the conference, I will coach you during the qualifiers. You'll come to the opening speeches and dinner on Friday evening. Sasha will arrive Friday night just in time to coach you during the competition on Saturday while I am thoroughly enjoying learning about life. Pun intended. On Sunday, you'll come to the early Mass with Sasha and I, then continue your competition. I'll participate in the closing journal reviews and research opportunities. We'll leave after the closing ceremony to be back in time for you to go to bed and be back here on Monday morning." Payson literally rolled her eyes at Ana's excitement. The older woman was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"I thought you were on sabbatical, why are we going to San Antonio?" She asked, noticing another fatal flaw.

"Um, well, about the sabbatical thing, it was kind of terminated and starting on Monday I have to work a minimum of twenty hours a week at the research center or on other tasks and twenty at home. It was my choice. Cancer, you know." Ana looked down at her shoes, ashamed that she made the decision without consulting her favorite sister-to-be.

"What!" Payson cried, giggling when she heard the same words shouted from inside Sasha's bedroom. They were both sitting cross-legged in the living room now. Sasha seemed to be cursing up a storm from behind the closed door. Hearing him reminded Payson of a final flaw, "Does he know yet? About San Antonio, I assume he knows about the ending sabbatical." Payson's assumption was correct, Sasha did know about the terminated leave.

Ana scoffed and shrugged, "Why would I tell him?"

"Because he is kind of involved, Ana. We need him to get on a plane and fly to Texas, remember?" She asked very slowly, enunciating each word carefully.

"Where is the damn seam ripper!" Sasha called, anger lacing his voice. He walked out, barefoot, holding a pretty elaborate twisting sock bow. Ana had sewed all of his socks together and then twisted them into a multi-loped bow, sewing that together.

"I see you found my creation." Ana smirked, he glared at his sister. Payson stared wide eyed. Sure, it had been funny in the past, but this was beyond ridiculous. When did she have time to do this?

"You are in so much trouble, little girl." His voice was lethal.

"Did you find the other creations?" She asked innocently, motioning to his room.

"What did you do?" He cried, turning quickly and running into the room.

"Death is more attractive than what I have in store for you, honey." She sang back, laughing as he ripped open his draws and closet. Most of his clothes were left alone; it was all those warm up jackets. They were gone.

"Where are my jackets." It wasn't a question. "My shoes, Ana!" All of his shoe laces were tied together in extravagant weaves.

"I am guessing that now is not a good time to let you know we are going to San Antonio, is it?" Payson smiled. She might as well get Ana into deeper trouble, if that was even possible at this point in time. Ana smiled at Payson, thinking of the torture that knowledge would cause and with such perfect timing.

"Actually, I saw the vouchers on the printer, love. I was just waiting for the impossible: Ana to ask me." Sasha smiled briefly as he worked to get his running shoes from the pile of shoes. Then he added, "Do you mind searching my room for the warm up jackets. I prefer not to freeze."

"They aren't in your room. She'd be looking a long time. I would suggest checking the freezer." Ana sang again, before adding, "Do you need a pair of socks? With enough begging, I can give you a speared pair."

"Nope. I will just seam rip them." Sasha snapped.

"Um, that's going to be interesting. All of the sewing supplies, scissors, knives, sharp objects, razors, everything have been moved to a secure place." Ana smiled at his aspirated look. "My locked office at the building."

"Ana…please give me the damn socks so we can go running." Sasha groaned.

"I think when you beg, you should get on your knees before me. Kiss my hand. Worship the ground I walk on. And then, I might – just might – be persuaded to give you some socks. If you are good enough, I could be convinced to find you the only non-frozen jacket as well." She smirked, walking away. Payson had retrieved all of the jackets from the freezer and were laying them out to thaw on the counters.

"I would like to go running, actually, I have like five pounds of ice cream to work off from Wednesday, remember? I'll be lucky if I can do any of my routines with all this extra weight." Payson quipped, laughing softly at the scene before her. Sasha looked like he was debating just wearing the shoes without the socks and going without a jacket. He knew he should expect her fury, but this was most certainly not what he expected. After all, was she or was she not twenty-eight years old now? Apparently that was a not.

Groaning he realized his first mistake, he was gone in Romania on her birthday without any calls or texts or cards. His second mistake was even going to Romania at all. His third mistake was mistaking intelligence for maturity. Ana was highly intelligent. Ana was hardly mature when not in a professional setting. Groaning, he knelt down before his sister, "My beautiful, intelligent sister, whom I love and adore for all time, I apologize for being such an uncaring and rude human being and for not putting your well-being before my own like I should have. I apologize for abandoning you. I apologize for ignoring your calls and texts. I apologize for completely forgetting your birthday, for which I should be skinned alive and poked with a thousand needles. I apologize for my stupidity. Please, please, oh great daughter of Gaia, the biologist incarnate, forgive me of my insolence and shortcomings. Have mercy on me."

He kissed both her feet and then the palms of her hands. She stood before him, expressionless. Payson was shocked to see the display, but then shrugged. They were siblings, but more, she was dying. She could probably get whatever she wanted from Sasha right now if she asked correctly. Threatening him, or bribing him with his own socks, certainly did help.

"You are forgiven. I suppose I can stop torturing you now. Of course, I do believe I gave you a rather nice present for your birthday." She had. He nodded, sullenly before accepting the two promised items. The jacket she had saved was the same one she had given him after he donated his marrow the first time. It was black with crimson and gold ribbing. He fingered the ribbing, it brought back memories.

He had turned twenty-nine a week and a half before she came to the United States, a week and a half before the infamous kiss. She had sent him two gifts. One of them was obvious for her causing him to roll his eyes, the other was distinctly for him. The gift for herself was a tea pot with different fungi painted and identified on it. The identifications looked suspiciously like her own neat handwriting, but the artwork was not. Besides, Ana was a terrible painter. Sasha figured she was trying to find him a gift, happened across the teapot, found it darling and bought it. Later, identifying all the plant and fungal life painted on it. Ever since she was little, she assumed everyone had the same scientific curiosity she did, ruining simple things by loading them down by facts. She probably figured he would want to know the species of the artistry.

The other gift was their first gold medals from when they were five and six mounted in a shadow box that seemed to be hand-crafted. He hadn't known that they had kept them, but apparently Ana had gained possession of them. Come to think of it, she had probably stolen his or requested it when she was hospitalized. It was a sweet and loving gift regardless of the past exchange of hands the medal had endured. Along with the shadow box was a picture, one he did not know existed, of herself and Sasha with the last medal she had ever won. It was only a silver, while he had won a gold that meet. They stood back-to-back with their arms crossed and medals around their necks. He was smiling smugly while she seemed to be beaming, always being happy even with second place.

"I'll make it up to you." He said softly after he had finished getting ready.

"Don't bother." She shrugged, "Good excuse to torture you, I don't need anything."

"It isn't about needs." He rolled his eyes, "Let's run."

Payson sighed with relief. She was getting annoyed at waiting. They went on their run which was followed by the regularly scheduled workout. After that, Payson helped Ana and Sasha plan Ana's schedule so she could still run and workout with Payson while she worked. Luckily, she was able to set her own hours which made life easier.

Practice that day was fast, but boring. Ana migrated over to the youngest tumbling class, as had become her custom and Sasha was shocked that he hadn't noticed her fascination with the little ones before. Watching her, he got an idea for her birthday present. She couldn't have a real child, but that didn't mean that he couldn't get her something else.

During a break he called Payson into his office, motioning for her to sit at the computer chair, "You want to get your sister a grieving doll? Isn't that strange?" Sasha had noticed that sometimes when a woman lost her child, she would buy a doll to help her grieve. Sasha had baby pictures of Ana, so he figured he could buy one of the dolls with a few different outfits and supplies that was the spitting image of Ana. It wouldn't replace her want for a child, but she could play pretend when she grieved not being able to be a mother the most. Her goddaughters could "replace" the children more than a doll and he was afraid Ana might not appreciate it, so he asked Payson.

"Yes, she will never be able to be a mother. She refuses to foster or adopt because she is afraid to die, scarring the child for life or some such nonsense." He cleared his throat when Payson raised an eyebrow, internally conceding that it might not be nonsense, "She fears that she'll die before I have children, if I have children, and sadly we're the only two children in my family." He sighed, adding, "She grieves not having babies."

"Well, I suppose it is sweet. She might like it. I know you don't give each other practical gifts." Sasha chuckled at Payson's observation. She was right, they had never exchanged a practical gift in their lives.

"Do me a favor?" He asked softly.

Payson rolled her eyes, smiling, "Why should I? You have a lot to make up for and I didn't get the opportunity to ruin all of your clothes." She looked like she was going to continue, so Sasha pulled her close and captured her mouth in a sweet kiss.

"That's why, love." He whispered, kissing her nose.

"That's not fair." She pouted, crossing her arms. He pulled them open and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her cheek.

"All is fair in love and war." His breath tickled her ear.

"You love me and war with her?" Payson grinned.

"Yes, isn't it obvious?" Sasha groaned before kissing her temple softly, "Do me a favor?"

"What is it?" She conceded, kissing him on the nose with a smirk.

"Hey, only I kiss noses!" He protested before becoming serious, noticing her look of mock horror, "I need you to find out the name she would want to name her daughter."

Payson laughed, "That's incredibly easy, Sasha. Anca is her daughter's name."

"My mother's name?" He looked confused, not seeing why.

"The name she wants us to name our first child, remember? That's because, if she had children, that's what she would name her first child." Payson stated as if he should realize this. He nodded dumbly, smiling at her when she added, "What is my reward?" She ran her hands up from her side unto his chest slowly until she snaked them around his neck, smiling deviously.

"Don't tempt me, love." Was his answer.


	21. Chapter 21

_I do not own MIOBI. So, I reviewing my awesome reviews and noticed one of them said something about a competition. I turned to my sister and asked, "What did I promise?" She said, "Two words: San Antonio." Apparently, I forget what I write as soon as I post it. Does anyone else have this problem? No worries, competition next chapter.  
_

* * *

Sasha was sitting in his office early Monday morning, thinking about the conversation he had had with Emily the night before. He had told her, as much as he hated to admit it, that he was proud of her and Damon's choice to keep the baby and take responsibility for their actions. After seeing how much Ana actually would have loved to have children, he knew that it pained her to see them regarded as disposable. Emily seemed to be at peace with her decision, which was better than what Sasha had expected when Ana told him that the Kmetko family would be eating dinner with them the night before. Emily had tried to ignore him and his presence at first, but he had successfully been able to convince her to talk to him.

Normally, he and Ana ate with the Keeler's on Sundays, but yesterday was different because the Keeler girls had decided to go to Canon City for a weekend of fun and White Water Rafting. This left the very cheerful Ana the opportunity to invite the Kmetko's over for dinner so to establish that they were still friends in spite of it all. During the course of the evening, between worrying about the welfare of Payson, Sasha discovered many interesting things.

Kim was still helping Khloe out with her children and with adjusting to her new life. Damon had moved in with them, making up the money which was lost with the scholarship. He and Emily planned on getting married after the baby was born. Brian was pleased to have another man in the house and Khloe had assured the two coaches that Emily was sleeping with her in the bedroom with Damon in Emily's old bed. This revelation made Ana giggle, but Emily blush deeply.

Sasha had made dinner while Brian kept him company, leaving the women to converse. Damon had excused himself, afraid that Sasha was going to beat him for knocking up one of his gymnasts. Sasha had briefly considered it, but wouldn't have really acted on such an impulse. With the men busy in the kitchen, Ana took the opportunity to complain about her awful diet that her horrible brother had her on. Emily had laughed, saying that now Ana knew the same resentment that all the gymnasts had for the dynamic duo. She covered her mouth in embarrassment as Ana chuckled. She told them that she already knew, four times over, the life of a gymnast.

Before dinner was complete, Ana told them that if they ever needed anything, just to ask. She said that she understood just needing a friend. Then, she shared with them her news of the cancer. Both women seemed to be genuinely upset for her.

Sasha had heard the entire conversation and he shook his head sadly at the recollection. Ana was already on her way to the research hub and Payson was currently doing school work in the annex. He was never so excited to see Payson at five in the morning when she came knocking on their door, ready to run. She and Ana seemed to enjoy the run, but Sasha kept thinking back to the night before. Something was bothering him. Even now, it bothered him. Sighing, Sasha shook his head and leaned back in his chair.

He was in his office for a specific reason, not to reminisce on the night before. He needed to find the ring. The fact that Payson had flung the ring in the first place made him groan, he had hurt her so deeply. He had already searched the room high and low about three times. He had asked both Summer and Kim if they had found anything out of the ordinary, but both women had denied seeing anything.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He pulled his wallet from his pocket and took out the golden ring with a woven design that Ana had gotten him for Christmas two years ago. He had gotten her a silver one of the same design. She had his ring engraved with the Latin words _saecula aurea_. He had engraved hers with the words_ luna printesa_. They were twin rings which were supposed to represent the Greek god Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis. They had coordinated their gifts that year, which caused her much amusement. Ana's only regret was that they did not know enough Greek to get them engraved in that language. Sasha kept his in his wallet while Ana either wore hers on her hand or around her neck, depending on her mood. She wore it on her right middle finger, but it was still slightly too big.

He weighed the ring in his hand and lightly flung it against the wall where Payson had said her ring hit. It hit and ricocheted off the wall in a downward spiral off to the left. He followed where it went and picked it up, putting it on the desk. He was frustrated with the lack of leads he was getting, but the ring had given him an idea. He went to the vents in the room and checked each of them with no luck. Sighing he sat back on his heels and cursed softly. Just when he was about to get up and apologize to the young blonde sitting in the next room, the phone rang.

"The Rocky Mountain Gymnastics center, this is Sasha." He answered the phone. It was Summer apologizing, but stating that she would be late to work today. Sasha told her that it was fine and to take her time kindly. She kept him on the phone, giving him her excuse which to be frank, he didn't care about. He was glad she had called, but he was perfectly okay with hearing the words 'I am going to be late today'. He turned around in frustration, leaning against a wall.

While he was talking, a sparkling glint caught his eye. Once he hung up the phone, he walked over to where the ring had gotten stuck between the back of the tall filing cabinet and the wall. Thanking whatever god exists, he pulled the ring from behind the cabinet and slipped it into his pocket. He turned and began gathering his things from the desk.

"Good morning, Sasha. Can I help you?" Kim smiled as she walked in, placing her purse on the desk.

Sasha jumped, flinging the keepsake Ana had given him on accident. He cursed softly before answering her, "Good morning, Kim. I was fine, but do you mind helping me find that? It is a ring that Ana got me. I think she'll kill me if I lose it." He muttered a few other things as he looked in the general direction it flew. Kim looked at him blankly before joining him in the search.

"Oh, here it is." Kim caught hold of the ring and brought it close to her face for inspection. She read the inscription and frowned, not able to understand it. "This isn't the ring you got my daughter." Kim commented thoughtfully, handing it to him. Sasha choked.

"Ana got that for me a few years back. What do you mean?" He tried to sound calm as he replaced the precious gift in his wallet, and then placed it in his pocket. He really did not want to know what Ana would do to him if he lost his twin ring. Hers was such a precious artifact to her that he feared his socks wouldn't be the only victims to her disappointment.

"You didn't think I would notice the addition to my daughter's jewelry collection?" Kim laughed, sitting against the desk. Her eyes were kind and bright.

"Notice, yes. Know who it was from, no bloody way." Sasha commented lightly, settling into his chair.

"I am more perceptive than you give me credit for. If you are the all-knowing god of gymnastics, I am the all-knowing goddess of the Keeler household. I know what takes place, even if the other inhabitants try to keep secrets." Kim hummed lightly, shifting her pose.

"How much do you know?" Sasha answered evenly, shrugging as if to concede to her dare.

"And I quote, 'You are the breath I breathe and the blood which courses through my veins.' Close quote. So much for her not reading that letter, Sasha. Before you ask, it is a mother's job to read her daughter's love letters which are hidden under her bed." Kim's voice grew low, but not unkind. Payson had been hiding everything that was important to her under her bed since the beginning of time. It was a rather unoriginal place to hide them.

Sasha looked extremely contrite. "I have done you and your family a great disservice. By my actions, I have betrayed your trust. I will do whatever you decide is best, but I beg your forgiveness." Sasha immediately said as comprehension dawned on his face, causing Kim to smirk. She was afraid that Sasha was going to fall onto the ground and beg her forgiveness on his knees. She laughed at his quaking. This was a full grown man, quaking for the fury of the mother of the woman he loved.

"Have your slept with my daughter, Mr. Belov?" She asked seriously.

Sasha choked again while vehemently shaking his head. "I would never place her in a compromising position. I would never risk her dreams."

Kim nodded, "Keep your relationship, even if it be romantic in nature, at the strictly PG to PG-13 level and I will allow it to continue. Stop sneaking around, Belov, you're not good at it. At least not with me, I doubt anyone else suspects." Sasha nodded.

"How long have you known?" He couldn't help but ask. Kim had been so kind and loving toward him, without any changes.

"Since the beginning, I suppose. I even know about the hand holding under the table when we happened upon you and Ana at the ice cream parlor. Did you find my daughter's ring or not?" Kim laughed.

"I, uh, yeah eh." Kim raised an eyebrow, causing Sasha to sigh, "I was going to return it this evening. With your permission?" He sounded so unsure of himself.

"What would I be giving permission for?" Kim rose an eyebrow, but her air of good fun did not leave her.

Sasha stood up straighter, clearing his throat. He pulled out the dainty ring from his pocket. "It is a promise that if, after the Olympics, we still have feelings for each other, we will pursue a real relationship."

"You already have a real relationship. You love her, she adores you. I am only concerned you'll freak out and leave her again." Kim stated tersely, crossing her arms over her chest, "You really hurt my little girl." This statement caused Sasha to groan lightly. He knew he had hurt her deeply, her body told him the tale.

"Among many things, it is a promise that I will always be there for your daughter. I will never leave her again." Sasha stated, more to himself than the woman standing before him.

"Do me a favor, Sasha?" Kim asked, smiling brightly.

"Yes?"

"Don't make me a grandmother until my daughter is twenty-two? Force her to go to college first. I do, however, expect to see gold on her hand before dinner tonight." Sasha choked, but agreed and quickly excused himself. It was just in time, too, because Summer had just entered the Rock.

Sasha ducked out of the room, determined to corner the young lady in the annex before her friends arrived. He nodded to the two giggling girls who just walked into the other room. He watched them go to the locker room before walking into annex. There, sprawled out in the middle of the mat was Payson, books scattered around her. Her hair was tied back in a messy bun. He watched her for several moments before she looked up. He was leaning against the door, arms crossed with a serious look on his face.

She looked up at him, feeling that she was being watched, and smiled lightly. He smiled back and nodded his head back to the gym behind him, "Time to get back to work." She smiled brightly at him and bounced up. She bounded toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple, "We probably shouldn't embrace like this in public, love."

She laughed and smiled, "You don't look like you're complaining."

"Get to work, Payson." Sasha laughed. She brushed passed him, opening the door to the main gym and ran toward the other elites. Sasha followed, slowly, shouting orders. The other girls thought nothing of Sasha getting Payson from the annex. They knew that she always came early and left late.

That day had gone by rather slowly. Everyone was excited when Ana danced in at three in the afternoon. She had decided to work from eight until two every day, leaving her afternoons to finish her Spanish Papers and her other projects that she did not finish during her sabbatical. In addition, she wanted to be able to still hang out with Sasha at the gym two or three days a week. She smiled brightly as the girls ran to hug her. Sasha bellowed at them to get back to work, nodding at his sister.

Ana immediately waltzed over to where her brother stood. Smiling up at him, she wrapped an arm around him before leaning her head against his shoulder, "I have so much busy work, but nothing to do." She groaned in mock fatigue. He wrapped his arm around her and smiled at her obvious attempt to get pitied.

"You didn't change, Ana. How are you supposed to coach looking like a professional supermodel?" He asked lightly, she scoffed looking down. She was in a pink oxford shirt and a black skirt which reached her knees. Her black heels had been shed in her car, leaving her barefoot. Around her neck was the twin ring on a sliver chain and her hair was pulled back into a bun. She also still had her lab coat on. Seeing her still in her coat, he helped her out of it, "You aren't working at the bench, why do you have to wear this heavy thing?"

"Part of the uniform?" She tried lamely. They both knew it was because she hoped to be allowed near the bench. She took out her earrings and started to unbutton the top few buttons of her shirt, revealing a grey tee shirt beneath it. "I have clothes in the office. Take these?" She handed him her earrings.

"And what am I supposed to do with your silver circles?" He asked, aspirated. She shrugged, running toward the office.

"Here, Sasha, put them here." Payson ran up with the empty coin purse from her gym bag. "Who is Ana working with today?"

"Lauren and Kaylie. We need to work with the training equipment in the annex, Payson." Something in his tone told Payson that they would not be doing too much working in the other room. She also highly doubted they would be fulfilling any of her fantasies over there either. Internally, she groaned, silently praying that he wasn't going to try to put limitations or anything on their relationship.

Ana bounced back in a few moments, still barefoot. She now wore black capri yoga pants and the grey tee-shirt. "What did you do with my earrings?" She grinned widely, seeming to revel in the fact that she was in the gym.

"Payson has them, we plan to ransom them." Sasha answered, completely serious. Ana shrugged. She began to stretch out, "I presume you got my text?"

"I did. I cannot wait to work with the girls." She flashed an award winning smile at the girls. "Now, I believe you have a new vault to work with this one?"

"Seriously?" Payson danced with joy, causing both of the adults to chuckle. She practically ran to the other room, but Sasha hung behind for a moment.

He watched his sister stretch and warm up, "Where are your shoes?"

"Heels aren't really appropriate for a gym. I forgot my tennis shoes. Shouldn't you be working on a vault?" She said the last part sarcastically. Sasha raised his hands in surrender.

"Shouldn't you be working on some scientific paper?" He quipped back, winking as he jogged to the next room. When he got there, Payson was sitting on top of the vault table. He realized he had forgotten to interrogate Ana on her lunch choices, but seeing Payson sitting there banished those thoughts.

"What's up, antrenor?" Payson smiled.

"What did you just call me, dragă?" Sasha was taken back to hear Romanian.

"Trainer, right? I think that's what Nicholai taught me. Was I wrong?" Payson said confused and frowning.

"No, that's correct. You look lovely today, by the way." He smirked at her blush as he walked toward her. She was still perched on the vault table, legs dangling. He stepped between her legs and ran his fingers up her thighs in a light pattern. She shivered, but smiled down at him. She was covered in chalk from head to toe and her hair resembled a rat's nest.

"I look awful." She retorted. He chuckled, reaching up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against himself. She leaned down and their lips met. She ran her hands over his shoulders and chest.

He drew her legs around his middle and pulled her off the vault table. His hands held her firm to himself, spinning her around slowly. He deepened the kiss and Payson ran her hands through his hair, pressing herself closer to him. Instantaneously, as if he remembered his earlier conversations, he stopped and sighed. Breathless, he pulled away and slowly peeled her from himself. Setting her down on her feet, he slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out the dainty ring there, "Your mother was quoting some really horrible poetry this morning when she came into work." He smiled, kissing her on lightly on her lips and slipping the ring onto her right ring finger.

"How can you kiss me and talk about my mother in the same breath?" Payson groaned into his mouth before squealing and looking at her hand, "You found it! Oh, I knew you would! I love you so much." She wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a sweet kiss to his pulsing vein.

Sasha grinned, "Your mother knows."

That stopped Payson's joyous outburst. She stopped and looked at him, "What is going to happen?"

"Well, what just happened cannot happen again. She said she will ignore our relationship as long as it remains more or less platonic for the time being." He breathed, sitting down and patting the mat beside him. She huffed, before sitting next to him and cuddling into his side. He wrapped an arm around her, "Do you need to talk about it?"

"What do you mean more or less platonic? Just how much can we do without breaking her rules?" Payson sighed, snuggling closer to his side. He felt her arms wrap around his waist, so he returned the favor by pulling her closer.

"She said to keep the relationship somewhere between PG and PG-13 or something silly like that. I interpret it as we are allowed to kiss and hug, but beyond that nothing can happen." He kissed her forehead and then stood up, pulling her with him. They stood embraced for several more moments before he spoke again, "Now, if you have no more questions, I really do want to work on a new vault. My grand excuse to get you alone was not that much of an excuse."

She rolled her eyes before walking over to where the training trampoline stood and turned to face him. He followed her, explaining his plans as he went.

* * *

"Payson, it is time to go. Pick up your books." Kim called as she walked into the annex, part of her braced to see something she did not wish to see. Instead, she saw her frustrated daughter falling on the trampoline with her coach making soft comments about her form. It was natural and not at all inappropriate.

"I'll gather your things, Pay. Try it one more time." Sasha said lightly, waving to Kim. Payson nodded, but came crashing down. Sasha walked over to her and helped to pick her up. He ran his hands in a very professional manner over her shoulders, explaining something to her. She nodded, asking him a question too light for her mother to hear.

Kim smiled, they were so careful when working on gymnastics. She knew Sasha was treating her daughter like a gentleman should, which is why she wasn't concerned about their continued relationship. Her husband and the rest of the world might condemn it, but she saw it as an innocent fling. If the fling lasted, then at least Payson would truly know her partner. If not, they would always be friends.

She continued to watch as Sasha ran his hands down her daughter's back, asking if anything hurt. The gestures where innocent, platonic, and very professional. Nothing in the way they were interacting at this moment was sexual. Payson shook her head to another unknown question before smiling brightly and walking to pick up her stuff. Sasha followed and helped.

"Good evening, Kim, are we coming over for dinner tonight?" Sasha asked, remembering his sister's plans to invite herself over. They began to walk out of the gym together, Sasha opening the doors for the two ladies.

"Yes, Ana mentioned missing her movie night. You don't mind if we just have salads with grilled chicken, right?"

"Sounds perfect. See you once we get cleaned up." Sasha smiled lightly, waving to the Keeler ladies and jogging toward his sister. Ana also waved at the ladies before looping her arm with Sasha's and pulling him gently toward the road to their house, leaving the car and presumably her heels at the Rock.

* * *

The rest of the night went without much event. The siblings went to the Keeler house around six in the evening and were greeted by salads, grilled chicken, and vegetable soup. All of the foods were perfectly in Ana's new diet. They were also in Payson's diet plan. Kim mentioned the fact that Sasha's diet plans were stricter with less wiggle room. He simply smirked and stated that that made the occasional treats, such as a piece of birthday cake, much more enjoyable. Ana jabbed him in the side, saying that she was going to make sure they passed through Italy with a long layover on their way to Hungary if he meant that. He scolded her lightly, telling her it wouldn't work.

Ana was able to win back her silver earrings in a card game and they watched several cartoons. Payson had excused herself to finish her school work after the card game. Ana and Sasha excused themselves from the Keeler's house around eight-thirty. Both of them noted that Kim was still acting the same as always, in spite of her knowledge. Ana then began jabbering on how awesome going to San Antonio with Payson was going to be. The sudden mention of a weekend almost alone with Payson filled Sasha up with an indescribable pleasure and he began to think of what he could do with her there where no one knew her.


	22. Chapter 22

_I do not own MIOBI. Sorry for the almost unforgivably long delay._

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"You know, I don't expect you to pick up after me." Suddenly Payson was very, very close to Sasha's left ear. He could feel her soft warm breath against his skin and smell the minty freshness of her breath. It was six o'clock in the morning on the dot and Sasha was picking up loose clothing that Payson happened to have left in the middle of the gym floor. She had started the workout in long sweats, a hoodie, and a long sleeve t-shirt. Now, she stood only inches away from him in nothing but her sports bra and a pair of very short shorts.

"Go take your shower, love, before I have to take one of my own." Sasha groaned lightly as Payson inched closer. A soft giggle filled his ear and then she was gone. He groaned lightly. If she kept up her taunting, he wasn't sure if he could keep the relationship platonic. Kim asked twice already if he had slept with her daughter. Frankly, since finding out that she knew, Sasha hadn't even fantasied about sleeping with or even near Payson. After all, he deeply respected Kim.

Sasha took Payson's sweaty clothing over to washing machine kept in the med room and started the cycle. It would take just enough time for the cycle to finish before Ana would whisk her away to the airport for the San Antonio meeting. Payson's clothes were packed away in Ana's sleek car. Sasha had to go through a four-hour day of light conditioning with Kaylie and Lauren – who were both expressing their dislike at being treated like infirms– and apparently Emily who wanted to stay in shape during her pregnancy before he could go to the airport and meet his girls in Texas.

Although the original plan had Sasha flying out after practice on Friday, he had changed that plan. After all, there were no classes and most of his girls were planning on ditching on Friday for some movie marathon and slumber party. He had been hearing traces of the plans all week. It was hosted by one of the junior elites and her mom. Kaylie and Lauren had, very conveniently, both scheduled their doctor's appointments for Friday and Emily didn't come to the Rock except on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Ana had never been in San Antonio before, so far as Sasha knew. Payson, well, he was just protective of his girlfriend. So, the more he thought about it, the more he didn't want the two most important people in his life to be alone in an unfamiliar place. He rearranged his ticket and his Rock schedule, planning to surprise them this evening. He already had all of the details arranged with Kim and he had insisted that Ana be sure that his name was on the Hotel room, just in case.

Sasha sat down in the center of the floor, listening to the soothing sound of Payson's shower and closed his eyes. Two weeks ago, he probably would have been thinking like a crazed school boy with his first crush trying to imagine Payson showering. However, since Kim had put the fear of God Almighty into his mind, he conjured up a smiling and innocent Payson as he started doing sit ups.

Before long, however, his thoughts turned toward another blonde. His mind recalled a time when he and Ana went to the waterfall outside the city where they lived. He was six, while Ana was four. They had snuck out of the house while there mama was baking. They loved adventures, but mostly stayed in their yard. That day, they snuck out, leaving their mother unknowing. They found a tree near the river that had roots which could serve as a shelter. They played house near the river for hours, not caring about the time. Before long, it was dark and they discovered that they were hungry. So, naturally, they started for home. Except, neither knew the way...

"Where's Pay?" Ana was literally beaming with excitement for the weekend. She was entirely too perky for the time in the morning. She walked into the gym quickly while pulling her hair back into a high ponytail and joining Sasha on the floor. Unlike Sasha, however, she did not start sit ups. Instead, she began a deep stretch.

"Showering. We had an effective work out." Sasha smiled remembering the workout. It was strictly platonic, but still he felt a deep attraction to her brawny beauty as she moved with fluid power through the sets. He heard the water switch off and he nodded toward the door, "Or she was showering."

"She needs to rest." Ana glowered playfully at her brother, too excited about her own activities for this weekend to care what he did to his athlete. She stopped stretching to stand up and she began to bounce lightly. Obviously she was either overly excited or, perhaps, she had something with caffeine on her way over to the Rock. He was actually hoping, for the sake of normalcy, that she had cheated on her diet and drank a soda or something. Being excited over a business meeting seemed delusional to him.

"What did the doctor say?" His question caused Ana's face to pale slightly, apprehension laced across her face. Her brow furrowed and she sucked in a deep breath before answering.

"It would seem that the disease is spreading slowly, but it is still very much alive. I am not responsive so far. We are waiting for a few more weeks – six weeks at most – before going on to strategy number two." Her voice cracked toward the end of her sentence. She was still in the very early stages, but with her past history she might as well be in the later stages. She was already unresponsive to treatment.

"Do you need a marrow donation?" Sasha personally thought they should start with chemo and bone marrow because that's what beat the disease last time. Ana didn't want to do that for some reason though. Sasha stood up and pulled his sister into a warm and reassuring embrace.

"Hey pretty lady! Let's go to Texas!" Payson skipped out to where her coaches were standing. Her voice soothed Ana and instantly the latter was in a better mood. Ana turned and nodded curtly to Sasha before turning to leave. She followed the younger blonde, chuckling when she realized that they matched. Both had comfortable warm up jackets over long sleeve "Rock" tee shirts. The only difference was Payson had black yoga pants while Ana wore low-riding maroon windbreakers.

"I'll text you later." Ana waved at her brother. He smiled gently, waving at the girls as they left. Then he turned and cursed lightly – Payson's clothes!

"You won't be the only one." Payson smiled, as she sent her first text to Sasha.

"He won't know which to read first, his dying sister's texts or his hot girlfriend's." Ana giggled, slipping into her driver's seat. Originally, they were going to have Sasha drop them off, but Kim insisted that she be the one. So, Ana drove to the Keeler house to pick up Kim and Becca.

"Do you girls always get up this early?" Becca groaned, falling in the seat next to Payson.

"Not on Sundays." Ana smiled, picking up her cell phone as it went off three times, saying, "Looks like he picked dying sister." Payson spit out her tongue while Kim and Ana switched seats so Ana could play with her phone.

"Damn." Ana said lightly.

"I don't think I have ever heard you curse, Ana." Kim looked astonished. Her face was concerned. Ana was buried into her cellphone, fingers swiping quickly at the high tech gear.

"I don't usually curse. I shouldn't have done so, please forgive me." Ana's voice was strained and contrite. She looked very embarrassed and worried. Payson tried to peer over her shoulder to read the text.

"What's up?" Kim smiled, amused at her sincerity.

"We need to go back to the Rock; apparently your daughter forgot something." Ana's voice was slightly skeptical. The text read that Payson had forgotten to get something very important. Which, by all rights, could be true; however, Ana was pretty sure Sasha just wanted to kiss the girl.

"To the Rock!" Payson smiled, thinking along the same lines as Ana. Kim grumbled something about it probably being gymnastic identification or something. She was slightly sore at Ana for not allowing her to help at all with the planning process.

The drive was quick and Payson rushed into the Rock, leaving the others in the car to entertain themselves. Much to Payson and Kim's discomfort, as they still had not discussed the Sasha and Payson relationship openly, Ana was singing some song about Heaven being a place on Earth because of some guy's love. Kim knew the song, but Payson had only heard it a once or twice.

She sprinted into the building to find Sasha folding her clothes into a bag. "Is that what you had us turn around for?" She asked with mock amazement. Sasha looked at and smiled lightly at the young blonde, reaching his arms to embrace her.

He pulled Payson close, nuzzling into her neck before breathing into her ear, "No, this is." He peppered sweet kisses on her cheeks and nose. She stood then, molding herself into his side with a grin that rivaled the Cheshire cat, her face glowed with excitement. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she caught his wandering lips with her own and took charge of the kiss. She sucked his lower lip and nipped at it, causing Sasha to chuckle deeply before pulling away. "That's enough, love."

Payson whined, pulling herself closer still. He chuckled again, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. "You have a meet to attend. You forgot this." He held out her NGO identification card.

Picking up the bag of clothes, Sasha walked Payson to the car and watched her drive away.

* * *

The day went slowly for Sasha, even though he was only working until 11 o'clock. Once done, he was going to drive to the Airport with Kim for his own flight. Kim, once again, warned Sasha about the rules regarding her daughter. For supposedly being okay with the relationship and trusting them, Kim seemed to be obsessing over the relationship. Sasha started to become angry with her until he checked himself by reversing the roles. If he ever had a daughter as pure and beautiful as Payson, he would never allow her to have a relationship with a man who was so much older than her. Kim was being trusting and generous.

"What are you going to do during the flight?" Kim asked, concerned. Although technically he was her superior in many ways at the Rock, Kim had begun to adapt to thinking of Sasha as a more intimate part of her life.

"I need to revamp the girls' diet plans and work out regimens. Emily wants one too. Kaylie and Lauren think she's insane. I also need to work on some editing for a young blonde who has a research paper due in a few days." He smiled, winking at Kim. He had offered to all of the girls that, if they needed to, he would be willing to tutor in certain subjects so they could succeed academically and artistically. He was feeling delusional and generous that day. Lucky for him, only Payson was comfortable enough to take advantage of the situation.

"Ah, so she didn't forget. Did she do a good job?" Kim was curious. Payson had been a lot less forthcoming with her non-graded homework recently. Kim was afraid her daughter was out and out neglecting it. Sasha had promised that he would never allow such a thing. The research paper was graded, but the prep work was not.

"She did good research at the Library, but beyond that I am not sure." Sasha shrugged. He hadn't looked at the paper yet.

"Text me the grade you'd give and I will consider it."

"That would hardly be fair, Kim. I would always give your daughter an A." He smirked. He would, too. He would do so simply because she was his most capable gymnast. Then, her being romantically involved with him was also not going to help.

"Whatever." Kim shrugged, pulling into the unloading zone. "Will the girls be ready for the Team meeting?"

"I would say so. They're doing well." Sasha grinned, grabbing his luggage from the car and thanking Kim for her excellent driving.

During the flight, although it was delayed for a half hour due to clouds and storms in Colorado, Sasha did exactly what he said he was going to. He tweaked and re-worked routines. Kim was right to be worried about the girls. In just a week and a half, they would be expected to perform at the World Team Level for the United States. Although Kaylie and Lauren had already started that, he needed them to train more intensely. Granted, this would all depend on what the good doctors would say at their respective appointments.

He also worked on editing Payson's paper. The topic was rather amusing to Sasha, but he was afraid Kim would not be nearly as easily pleased. Payson did her paper on all of the scientists that had food names. She fudged it slightly to allow names which, pronounced correctly, sounded like they had food names. So, for example, for Madame Curie, she used curried peppers. Payson's paper was good and full of facts, but the jokes would probably not go over very well.

The flight wasn't long because Colorado to San Antonio was non-stop. Once he landed, he called Kim to ask what the topic of the research paper was. When he learned it was for her health class that she was required to have by the state, but was refusing to take seriously, Sasha almost laughed out loud. It sounded like Kim was willing to take almost anything, so he just warned her to read it in a good mood. Grabbing his luggage, he headed out so he could find the hotel. He decided to walk for a while, because he needed to stretch, before hiring a car. He stopped inside a convenience store to get some water before he braved the heat of the Texas sun.

"Hello, love." He answered the phone as quickly as it rang. He started in the general direction of the hotel, pausing when he got to a bus stop.

"Hi." Payson breathed, happily. "We're all checked in and everything. Ana's taking me to the zoo or something. Meaning, she's taking herself on a biology field trip with me as an excuse." Payson sounded amused, but the news relieved Sasha. He would have a chance to clean up before he saw them.

"Oh, that should be fun." He chuckled deeply, trying to imagine his sister pulling the younger blonde from habitat to habitat, whilst identifying – using scientific names – all of the plants, fungi, and animals in sight. "What's the plan for after the zoo, dragǎ?"

"Business dinner? Oh, I have to go; the other nerds are here for the zoo thing. Love you." Sasha responded that he loved her also, chuckling at the light protests he heard from Ana in the background.

Once he was off the phone, he realized he had gotten on the wrong bus and groaned. He used his phone to call a cab, as he descended the stairs at the very first stop. The cab came rather quickly and before Sasha realized it, they were at the hotel. Except it was the wrong hotel. The receptionist was very kind in directing Sasha to the correct version of the hotel he was staying at and Sasha decided to walk, even though it would take him a little over an hour to do so.

He finally arrived around seven in the evening and, after arguing with the clerk regarding his identity, Sasha got his room key and found the room. He frowned when he entered seeing that the couch which was supposed to serve as his bed did not exist. At first, he thought it was the wrong room, but he found and easily identified Ana's suitcase near the window and Payson's near the bathroom.

Sasha was exhausted, so he took a shower and laid down on the bed closest to the bathroom. He wore no shirt, just sweats. He didn't mean to fall asleep, but he did. In his dream the younger him gripped onto Ana's hand as he promised to save her. He promised to find the way, even though he didn't know what it was. The car lights blinded him…

* * *

…Sasha jerked awake realizing that the pillow in his arms moved if its own accord. He was very groggy as he blinked and looked around. It was two in the morning and his pillow that he was cuddling wasn't a pillow. It was a young, blonde girl. He glanced to see Ana sleeping peacefully in the other bed as his vision cleared. He looked down at the girl in his arms as Payson snuggled deeper into his chest. Impulsively, he kissed the top of her head before drifting back to sleep. In the back of his mind, he realized he was sleeping – literally – with Payson.


	23. Chapter 23

Hey guys! I sill don't own MIOBI. Just updating, had some down time at work. I'll try to finish this story before September. I won't be able to update anymore until December.

I am suffering from some pretty serious health conditions. It is draining the life outta me. :-P I'm tired a lot. I'll be okay though. Nothing I can't handle. I am also working on my own original work. I hope to have that complete by the beginning of next year.

* * *

The ringing in his ear was enough to wake Sasha in the morning. He reached over to grab the cell phone off the bedside table, overcompensating to reach over the body curled next to him. Ana, as far as Sasha could tell, was already in the bathroom preparing herself for their very busy day.

"Hello?" Sasha's voice was thick with sleep; it was five o'clock in the morning. He laid back down next the blond, holding the phone up to his ear on the other side. His movement had jostled the girl enough to wake her, Payson giggled as she snuggled deeper into her boyfriend's chest.

"Ah, hello, Kim." Sasha looked pointedly at Payson, who smiled innocently back. Then, her smile morphed into something daring as she craned her neck to pepper his chest with sweet kisses.

"No, no. Everything is fine. She's just getting freshened up in the shower." Sasha's voice was strained as Payson continued her kisses and began to run her fingers lightly over the bare plane of his stomach. Sasha batted her hand away when it dipped too close to his already low riding sweats, "I assure you, Kim, your daughter is in good hands. What, with Ana here? You have nothing to worry about."

Payson pulled herself on top of Sasha so she was straddling him. She dipped her head down, kissing his shoulder and neck as her hands explored his sides. She wiggled back and forth slightly, causing Sasha to jerk backward. "Seriously, Kim, it is four o'clock in the morning. Just go to sleep. Your daughter is safe." He hung up the phone and tossed it to the side before added, "For now."

Sasha easily turned the tables so he was straddling Payson. The look in his eyes was anything but pleased with her actions. She grinned impishly, straining to kiss and nip his chiseled chest. "Payson Keeler." He spoke to her sternly. She smiled back up at him, innocently. "You have no idea how hard it was to keep an even tone with your mother. Do you want her to murder me?" Sasha pulled himself off of her and walked toward the bathroom.

"You managed." Her voice was nonchalant as she pouted.

After three very inpatient knocks, Ana came out. Almost immediately following her departure, Sasha hurried into the bathroom.

"Why was he in such a hurry?" Ana looked confused, glancing between the shut bathroom door and the mussed hair beauty pouting on the bed.

"I think he needs a cold shower." Payson said, inspecting her nails.

"Oh." Ana said, going over to the little kitchenette and opening the mini-refrigerator. "So, you should probably take a shower and start your morning of the event routine. You may be one of the only girls your age and level, but you'll still need to qualify. Can you grab the blender from my suitcase?"

"You brought a blender? On an airplane?" Payson gasped, not sure how Ana had managed the feat. The Transport Security Administration in the United States wasn't known for their leniency for the stranger items people tried to travel with.

"Au contraire, my love, I am borrowing it from my colleague that we went to the zoo with yesterday. He stashed the blender in my bag yesterday." Ana grinned as she pulled out milk, fruit, and protein powder. Ana paused before adding, "Besides, it isn't the type of blender you are thinking of. It could probably go on an airplane. It is being shipped back with some other items of potential contraband though." Apparently, whether she wanted to follow Sasha's dietary plans or not, both Ana and Payson had to. Yesterday's break was obviously just a treat. Ana, in addition to the foods she had pulled out, had also grabbed what appeared to be her envelope of recipes which followed Sasha's instructions and guidelines.

A knock on the bathroom door had Payson in a fit of giggles. Ana stared at the young girl blankly before going to answer Sasha, "Yes?" The door opened slightly and Ana noticed that the air which drafted from the bathroom was cool. Apparently he did take a cold shower.

"I forgot to grab my clothes in my haste. Do you mind grabbing my overnight bag from my suitcase?" Payson's giggles were louder, so Ana turned and gave her a pointed look as she went to grab the requested item.

"That good, eh?" Ana smirked lightly as she handed the glistening wet, towel clad Sasha. He rolled his eyes, retreating behind the closed door. Ana turned on Payson, smiling lightly when she saw the younger girl was using the hand blender to make breakfast. "I can't allow you to sleep in the same bed as my brother if you aren't going to be chaste about it. I didn't think you would mess around with me in the shower."

"It was harmless." Payson smiled to herself. It was harmless because Sasha was talking to her mother on the phone and couldn't reciprocate Payson's ministrations. It was harmless because Sasha had an amazing amount of self-control.

"Harmless it may have been, young lady, I promised your mother that I would return you safely and in one piece. Although neither of us specified what that meant, I doubt she would be pleased if you were less intact than you were when you left." Ana's smile made Payson cringe.

"Ana!" Sasha whispered harshly as he joined them at the little table. "Is this really an appropriate discussion?" He stared at his sister, who met his glare evenly. None of the gymnast, including Payson, could easily meet the piecing blue eyes when they were laced with disappointment.

"Hm, maybe not. She needed to be warned though. I will not tolerate any shenanigans from either of you. You can be a couple on this trip, but a chaste one." Ana smiled at her brother knowingly before taking a sip of her smoothie, "This is truly disgusting, love. It had better work." She stood up and began bustling around, gathering her supplies for the conference into her briefcase and purse. She took small sips of her smoothie as she went.

"I read that garlic had medicinal properties." Sasha shrugged.

"Be that as it may, garlic and fruit isn't my favorite combination." Ana smiled.

Payson slid onto Sasha's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, she tried to look very contrite as she spoke softly, "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

Sasha raised an eyebrow before kissing her pouting lips. She instantly deepened the kiss, pulling herself closer to his chest. Once the kiss broke, Sasha spoke lightly, "Payson, sweetheart, I really care about you and your dream of going to the Olympics. You cannot do that if you are pregnant. What you did this morning can lead to other things that may cause that to happen. One uncontrolled kiss can lead to something you never intended. Do you understand?" He looked up and nodded as Ana motioned that she was going to leave.

"Yeah, like you'd ever let it get that far. Besides, I've only ever had one period." She was so comfortably saying this; it fell out of her mouth.

"Payson, you're an elite athlete. If you have regular, every twenty-eight day cycles, I would be very, very concerned." He raised an eyebrow. Then his tone changed, "It just takes once, love. Just once. One time, we fool around and let it go too far. One time, your body gets so excited that you ovulate or however that works. One time, and your dad kills me while you lose your Olympic dream. Please don't be mad at me, Payson, but if we cannot control our carnal feelings for each other, I will have to call it completely off."

"I won't compete if you do that." Payson threatened, playfully. "Maybe I'll even find a boyfriend. You know, one that desires me." She was being serious enough about the competing thing, but she had no interest in boys her own age. Men, specifically Sasha, yes. Boys, yuck.

"Payson Keeler, you would be wise not to threaten me. I do get jealous, you know." Sasha smirked, placing a sweet kiss on her cheek, "I do desire you, but I love you more. I love you, which is why I would be willing to place my feelings on hold for your dream." She grinned at him, glad he understood the playful quality to her idle threat. She kissed him sweetly before pulling herself off of his lap and walked to the bathroom.

* * *

"Well done, Payson!" Sasha shouted. Payson had qualified for the All Around. Some of the apparatuses she had not compete even in gym-wide mini meets since her accident. They had been in the gym since around seven o'clock in the morning. They didn't even stop for a break between training and the initial qualifiers. Payson was beginning to feel light-headed, so she ran over to Sasha.

"What time is it, coach?" She stood impatiently before him, arms crossed over her chest.

"Ah, twelve o'clock in the afternoon. What? Hungry? Tired? Need to use the restroom?" Sasha smirked. They had about three hours until her next event, so he had planned on taking her to the restaurant across the street for lunch. He could tell she was beginning to hurt, also.

"All of the above." She grimaced.

"What hurts, Miss Keeler?" He asked very seriously, grabbing her by her shoulders so she couldn't look away.

She shrugged, "My ankle and my lower back, just a bit. Nothing to worry about."

"Alright, grab your warm-ups and meet me in the med room." Sasha said, as Payson groaned. She was not at all happy with this. Her first meet post-surgery and her back was already sore. Obediently, she grabbed and put on her warm ups before sulking into the med room. Once in there, she saw Sasah with three disposable ice packs and some tape. "Lay down, Pay. This is just to get you through lunch. Then we'll go to the room and put real ice on what hurts for a bit. Maybe a massage? Yes?" He smiled down at her as he carefully wrapped the ice packs onto her afflicted areas.

"What did I do to deserve such a great coach?" Payson giggled as Sasha helped her off the bench. Then they walked to the restaurant.

* * *

"So, I hear congratulations are in order!" Ana almost squealed as she bounced into the room. It was almost ten o'clock at night. After her conference, she went to one of her friend's house and they began to experiment. Ana meant to be back at the hotel in time for dinner, but that just didn't happen. She called, which was when Sasha told Ana that Payson had indeed qualified.

When she turned on the lights, she had expected to see Payson and Sasha curled up watching the running television. Instead, she saw Sasha stretched out, using Payson's stomach as a pillow. Payson appeared to be lying on all of the pillows in the room, including Ana's pillows from home. There were obvious ice packs tied to her ankles.

Neither of the two stirred that night, so Ana folded her blankets into a pillow. In the morning, the routine seemed to have been set. Ana took her shower first, followed by Sasha. Payson made the breakfast smoothies. She donned her leo and warm-ups at about the same time that Ana left. Today would be the last day of Ana's conference. Most likely, she would be able to watch the latter half of the competition.

* * *

"Feel better, love?" Sasha asked, putting on his warm-up jacket.

"What's the point of me wearing shoes?" Payson countered, not answering his question. She was slipping on some blue loafer style shoes as she commented.

"So your feet don't get hurt between the room and the school's gymnasium?" Sasha replied, unsure as to what she was getting at.

"Oh, well, alright then." She smirked. Sasha just stared at the girl, not sure what she was getting at. Shrugging, he figured it would get it later. The two of them walked quickly to the meet at the gym. It was a nice walk. San Antonio was well landscaped and the buildings were abstractly neat. There were old buildings and modern buildings littered around the campus. The large auditorium where Ana was having her events was very modern. The gymnasium held the appearance of being very old on the outside, but was fully modernized on the inside.

Once they got into the gym, Sasha signed the appropriate paper work and handed over the permission slips that Kim had signed before Payson left. Meanwhile, Payson began to warm up and get to know her surroundings. After Sasha was done, he approached the serious-faced girl, "I am going to give you conflicting advice, Payson."

"Oh yeah, coach?" She glanced up from her stretch. Her face was so serious, it almost made Sasha laugh.

"Yup. Don't take this too seriously, you've hardly any competition and it isn't worth possibly getting hurt over. At the same time, don't underestimate them. Don't get cocky. Balance, got it?" Sasha smiled at Payson's nod. She was so going to be over-competitive. She always was.

They waited in comfortable silence until her name was called for the bars. Sasha checked his watch, it was ten o'clock already. The meet must have been starting late. Payson smiled and walked toward the bars. She saluted the judges before taking a deep breath, mounting the bars. Her movements were fluid, powerful, and graceful. She took her time, executing each trick perfectly. Her only flaw was in her dismount, where she took an extra step. She saluted again, flashing an award winning smile at her audience.

"You're going to have to watch her. They'll be lining up to court the girl." A feminine voice chirped in Sasha's ear.

"My god, Ana!" Sasha jumped, not realizing that anyone was standing near him.

"Stop drooling and start paying attention." Ana quipped, clapping and smiling as Payson ran toward them. Payson was instantly in Sasha's arms, hugging him.

"You did well." Ana commented, before turning to go back to her conference. "Chao, love. I'll be back around two in the afternoon. That is unless my friends and I decide to go clubbing or something." She laughed as she waved.

"Did Ana watch the whole thing?" Payson whispered conspiratorially after the blonde was out of earshot.

"Wouldn't know," Sasha said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders with the pretense of guiding her to their bench, "I was too busy drooling."

"Or watching me like a hawk. I know you worry about me on bars." Payson accused.

"Obviously. There was no bodily fluids involved." Sasha stated blandly.

They talked lightly for a few more moments before coach mode kicked in and Sasha drew out the dismount on his clipboard. He showed Payson what angles she had to perform in order to dismount properly. He helped her analyze what she had done wrong. Then, he went over her routines for the other apparatuses.

Payson was extremely disappointed when he showed her the vaults he had submitted to the judges. Vaults were next and the degree of difficulty was hardly elite. It was too easy. She was about to argue when her name was called. She was to have the last event until they broke for lunch, or so said the voice on the intercom.

Payson saluted the judges grudgingly and did both vaults. She performed them perfectly, gaining perfect scores. Sasha was pleased, but when Payson returned to him she looked upset. She was limping slightly.

"Land wrong?" He was sure she had performed the vaults perfectly. No extra hops. No concerning sounds.

"Nah. My ankle is just acting up. I'll take it easy for the next few weeks." She smiled, wrapping said ankle with tape before donning her "Rock" warm-ups.

"Worlds." Was all Sasha said.

Payson nodded, "Like you said, they know what I am capable of. Lower difficulty perfectly performed is better than getting hurt. I'll make the team. Especially with my new floor routine." She flashed a genuine smile at Sasha.

"So, what do you think Ana has been up to? She was out really late last night." Payson started casually. Apparently Ana truly trusted Sasha to behave himself in her stead. Payson thought that Ana was going to be more of an overbearing presence, but instead she just kind of morphed in and out of the area without any fuss.

"Probably experiments or drinking games, there is no telling. It is Ana after all." Sasha laughed. At that moment, Ana bounded up behind Sasha.

"Want to come have lunch with me?" She grabbed Payson's arm, pulling lightly.

"You show up at the most random times." Payson muttered, allowing herself be lead.

"Inconvenient times." Sasha agreed.

* * *

Ana lead the couple to a small Italian place just off of the campus. There, they joined some of Ana's colleagues who were very interested in Payson and her sport. During the course of the meal, it was revealed that the night before Ana and two of her colleagues decided to run some blood tests in one of their home labs. They took samples of Ana's blood and various compounds from medicinal plants to see which plants would attack the cancerous cells. Sasha did not seem to be pleased about Ana's less than legal nighttime activities.

Payson finished her competition, with Ana and her friends coming to watch the last of her events, with first place All Around, Gold on bars and floor. After the competition was over, Ana took the couple to a longue where she bought them all drinks, including Payson. Payson almost didn't accept until she realized that Ana was being dead serious. Sasha simply shrugged, telling her to keep it to just one drink.

The next day, the three flew out of San Antonio. Ana's colleagues promised to ship the unknown contraband the next day. When asked what this contraband was, Ana simply smiled.


End file.
